Once bitten, twice damned
by Lil' Slayer
Summary: You can guess that this is a vampire story right? Good! Nothing much else to say then really, a lot of deaths at the end... horrible ones! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! CHAPTER 20 is finally up!
1. Chapter one

**Chapter one**

(The first part is a bit boring… it'll get going when I get into it… and I let all the evil demons out! Just to say now… I am British/Irish so my spelling and grammar will be different to you Americans you'll just have to ignore them and try not to complain! Thank you! J)

_"Come on!" Draco yelled grabbing Hermione's arm and dragging her away._

_"No! I can't leave-" she began but Draco had cut in._

_"Potter has told me to get you out of here and I'll be damned if I'm not gonna do it! Now come on!" Draco pulled her through the empty streets of Hogsmeade not looking back to see if Harry was OK._

_He did feel bad leaving Harry and Ron to fight the Deatheaters on their own but Harry had told him to take Hermione and run back to get Dumbledore.  Draco had obeyed because he wanted to get Hermione to safety and also to get Dumbledore to stop the fight before someone got killed._

_Draco had just led Hermione around a corner when he skidded to a halt.  Standing before them with a satisfied grin on his face, was Lord Voldemort._

_"Where are you kids running off to in such a hurry?" he asked, still grinning._

_Draco's mouth went dry but he still managed to spit out, "Back off!"_

_Voldemort's expression didn't change, "Are you __threatening me__, boy?"_

_Draco pushed Hermione behind him and glared up at Voldemort but remained silent.  Fear had frozen his ability to speak._

_Voldemort used magic to throw Draco roughly away into a stone wall.  Hermione screamed at this but screamed louder when Voldemort grabbed her wrist._

_"You're coming with me.  I have some use for you!" he grinned malevolently._

_Draco staggered up, using the wall to lean on, and rubbed his throbbing head.  He looked up when he heard Hermione's scream get louder.  He saw Voldemort dragging Hermione away, back to where they were both running from in the first place._

_Draco wasn't going to let Voldemort have this one.  "LEAVE HER ALONE!" he cried as he started running after them._

_Voldemort turned round and pointed his wand at Draco with his free hand, "Crucio!"_

_Draco collapsed where he was standing as the pain shot through him like an electric shock.  Draco was kneeling on the ground and biting his bottom lip to stop himself from yelling from that unbearable pain.  He didn't want to show any weakness to give Voldemort the satisfaction.  It was hard, so very hard.  He found himself beginning to crack and so he finally gave in and began to yell loudly and was just about to totally collapse to the ground when Voldemort took the curse off him.  The relief made Draco fall forward as he gasped for breath._

_Voldemort put his wand under Draco's chin and lifted his head up.  Draco saw that Hermione was crying and it hurt him to see that.  He then turned his head slightly to see Voldemort staring down at him with an expression of hate on his pale, thin face._

_"Don't think that just because you are the son of one of my best Deatheaters that I won't kill you! All I see when I look at you is the filthy little traitor that you are and I don't like traitors.  You step in my way again and I'll kill you.  Got it?" Voldemort snarled._

_Draco swallowed hard when Voldemort took his wand away and began to drag Hermione away again._

_Draco sat in thought for a moment.  His reactions made up his mind before his head did and he headed off after them at a fast run.  Once Draco was up close he pulled out his penknife from his pocket and before Voldemort could point his wand at him, Draco had got him in the arm that was holding Hermione._

_Voldemort loosened his grip and began to cry out in pain.  Draco took his opportunity and took Hermione by the hand to lead her back to safety._

_"I feel like a Quidditch ball!" she tried to laugh but the situation prevented her from doing so._

_Draco felt sore all over but that didn't stop him from getting away.  He heard Voldemort's cry of anger behind him._

_"You'll regret that, Malfoy!" After a while he added, "You will soon return to my side boy! You will come crawling back begging for forgiveness!"_

_Draco turned to see how far away they were to see if they could slow down.  They weren't, they could never be away far enough.  Draco turned round and stopped in confusion._

_Hermione was gone and he had suddenly appeared in the forbidden forest.  Draco spun around on the spot and just saw trees and darkness in all directions.  He began to panic when someone came up behind him and began to squeeze his shoulders in a comforting way.  Draco relaxed slightly but was still scared, he didn't know who it was.  He could tell that it wasn't Hermione, the grip was too strong but it was the touch of a girl, he could tell that much.  _

_He was just about to turn around to see who it was when he felt a sharp pain on the side of his neck.  He began to cry out into the darkness but he knew that no one would hear…_

*~*~*

Draco blinked to open his eyes properly but sleep was still heavy over him and so he just turned over and yawned.

That night had come back to haunt him in his dreams for a week now and it never stopped terrorising him.  The only part of the dream that was unfamiliar was the part from where he was in the forest, he wasn't in the forest that night.  After running from Voldemort, Draco and Hermione had went straight to Dumbledore and had stayed in the Great Hall together.  What Voldemort had called after them still popped up in Draco's mind every time he cleared his head.  _You'll regret that, Malfoy! You will soon return to my side, boy! You will come crawling back begging for forgiveness!_

Draco finally opened his eyes and flinched from the morning's bright sunlight after so much darkness.  He randomly felt about for his alarm clock to see what time it was.  Eventually he found it and he sat up to see it properly.

6:59 AM. 

Draco groaned and muttered, "Typical!" to himself as he buried himself under the covers again.

He had barely retreated back to the comfort of his bed when he heard that infernal bleeping telling him, "Come on! It's seven o' clock! Wake up you lazy bastard!"

Draco groaned again just as he automatically reached out and threw the alarm clock across the room.  _That'll shut it up! He thought smugly._

"Uh?!" A dull, monotone voice cut through the silence, "What was that?"

Draco winced.  _Please don't say I hit Crabbe or Goyle!_

All of the Slytherins were giving Draco grief after him betraying Voldemort but grief and torture was the best of it, a lot of the Slytherins gave Draco brutal beatings and two of those people were Crabbe and Goyle.  They would use any excuse to get at him, hopefully throwing an alarm clock at one of them won't spark a fire!

"Hey, Malfoy, this is your alarm clock!" Draco looked up.  It was Goyle he had hit.

"Yeah and I would like it back thanks!"

"Why did you throw it at me?"

"It was a coincidence that it hit you, now let's just forget it!" Draco was trying not to get into a fight and get hurt this early in the morning.

Goyle wasn't letting it go.  "Yeah right! You did it on purpose!"

Draco couldn't understand what the big deal was.  Goyle was obviously just looking for a fight.  "It was a bloody alarm clock! You'd think I'd hit you with a brick the way you're getting on! What would I gain from purposely hitting you with an alarm clock anyway? You're just looking for a fight and I know it… just let it go for God's sake!"

Draco got up and headed for the showers he had just reached the door out of the dormitory when something sharp and painful struck him on the back of his head and hit the floor with a thud mixed with of a cling.  Draco turned around slowly and saw the alarm clock lying on the ground beside him.

_Just a few weeks to go… and you're free… just a few more weeks! Draco thought as he sighed.  "Oh! Very mature Goyle!" he said as he picked up the alarm clock and threw it back on his bed._

*~*~*

"Good morning Draco!" Hermione called cheerfully from the top of the main staircase as Draco was walking out of the Slytherin dungeons.  She was on her way to breakfast with Ron because Harry was being kept prisoner in the hospital wing because of a few cracked ribs.

"What's so good about it?" Draco moaned as he trailed his hand through his hair, which was still wet.

"Rough morning?" she asked clinging onto his arm.

"Don't give him any sympathy! He's like this every morning!" Ron shook his head and walked on into the Great Hall.

"Just ignore him.  He still can't get round the fact that you saved his life!" she laughed.

Draco smiled, "And I'm not going to let him hear the end of it!"

Hermione's nose wrinkled up.  "Do I smell… glue?"

Draco pulled away from her and sighed.  "This is why my morning has been crap.  First Goyle throws a clock at me because he thought that I purposely threw one at him."

"Did you?"

"No, it just so happened to find it's way over to his face! Then, when I went for a shower, they must've pre-planned this, they poured glue into my shampoo bottle.  Not very original, I know, but still dead annoying and evil.  Then they stole my wand so I couldn't dry my hair and I still haven't got it back!" Draco glared.

"Awe! Poor Draco!" Hermione hugged him.  "You are so good to put up with all this!"

"I have no choice in the matter!"

Hermione was about to say something when someone called Draco's name.

"Oi! Malfoy! You want this back then do ya?" 

Draco looked over at the door to the Slytherin dungeons and saw one of his class mates brandishing his wand in front of him.

"Excuse me for a moment," Draco whispered to Hermione before he turned round and chased the other boy done into the dungeons yelling, "GIVE IT BACK YOU LITTLE BASTARD!"

Hermione shook her head.  _At least the worst is over.  Now all he has to do is survive school!_

(See? B-o-r-i-n-g! I swear once I get the vampires into it, it'll get going!)


	2. Chapter two

**Chapter two**

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**A/N-----(Soz hun, but Vampires are part of the story! Thanx for all your reviews, they are much appreciated! Soz about the 'used magic' thing but I didn't know what curse he would use… I hoped no one would notice but ah well! As for Finchette Malfoy's remark… it wasn't just Crabbe and Goyle who tortured him, they are still as stupid as ever and about Lucius… u'll see! By the way, I hate the start of this chapter… the next one is where it all gets going so I'm kindda rushing this one to get the next one up soon, OK? Bring on the vampires!)**

****

"Hiya!" Draco called as he pranced into the hospital wing and sat down beside Harry's bed.

Harry shuffled up the bed to sit up but winced in pain from his cracked ribs, which were still painful even though Madam Pomfrey fixed them and gave him pain-killers.  "Come to boast have you?"

"Hell yes!" Draco leaned back in the chair and put his feet up on the bed and put his arms behind his head.  He grinned.

"Nudge me when you're finished," Harry placed his pillow over his head and ears.

Draco laughed and took the pillow off him, hitting him over the head with it.  "I'm here to make sure that you haven't died on me after all I went through to keep you alive!"

"In other words you want to see how I am?" Harry raised an eyebrow.

"Sssh! Don't spread it around, I'm in enough trouble with the rest of the Slytherins as it is!" Draco grinned.

Harry snatched his pillow back and hit Draco with it before putting it behind his back.  

"I didn't ask for you to help us, you did that on your own so it's your own fault that they hate you."

"I didn't ask to be brought up by an evil bastard to be totally sinister and be respected by all the other Slytherins," Draco retaliated.

"If you were brought up to be evil and serve Voldemort, then why did you help us?"

Draco stared hard at Harry for a moment, "I knew you'd ask me that sooner or later.  I told Hermione why the other night and Ron doesn't want to know.  He thinks that this is all an act to get you to trust me so I can lead you to _him and __he can kill you.  He doesn't trust me," Draco sighed and stared at the ceiling._

Harry thought for a moment.  That's exactly what he was thinking but there was something about the look on Draco's face that crossed that conclusion out.  Then he remembered something that definitely crossed it out.

"Even though you risked your life saving him from that Deatheater?" Harry asked.

Draco's face screwed up and he sat up properly.  "That was no ordinary Deatheater, Potter…" Draco let his head drop onto the bed and what he said next came out in a mumble but Harry heard it fine and he was taken aback, "… that was my father… I'm now officially known as the outcast of the family! Not that I care or anything!"

Harry laughed shortly and shook his head, "I really don't understand you, Malfoy! You torture us for six years and then you decide to fight with us, care to explain?" he wanted to ignore what Draco had just said, he didn't want to go into that.

Draco sat back up and stared around the room to make sure that no one else was there before explaining.  "During the Christmas holidays, my father had a meeting with some of his fellow Deatheaters and they were talking about what would happen when you-know-who kills you… wasn't bright at all!"

"He let you in when they were talking about that?"

"Hell no! My father sends me to my room when he has those meetings, says that I 'wouldn't understand'.  I spied!"

"What would've happened?" Harry asked out of curiosity.

"All of the mudbl- sorry- muggle-borns will be wiped out, evil will take over Hogwarts then eventually the whole wizard world, muggles would be in danger… that sortta stuff.  All because you were the only defence against the heir of slytherin, you were the only thing stopping him!"

"Still doesn't make sense why you helped me.  I thought that's what you wanted to happen."

"I did but…"

"But…?"

"Firstly, You-know-who asked me to kill your Hermione and Weasley, I'm not like my father, I don't kill innocent people although I have been brought up to do that.  Torturing people is my limit! And You-know-who is always threatening me and ordering me to do things for him and, I'm fed up with it.  Why would I want to be on his side if I'm scared of him? I don't see the point! And I want revenge for him turning me into a flobberworm for not doing a job right!"

Harry sniggered then waited for a minute, "And… secondly?"

Draco looked at the ground, "You're gonna kill me for this…"

"Do I look like I'm in a state where I can kill you right now?"

"You can get me later."

"Just tell me, Malfoy!"

Draco took a big breath and thought about it, "Nope, not telling!" Draco got up and began to walk out.

"You know, I'm more likely to kill you if you don't tell me!" Harry called after him.

"If you kill me then you'll never know will you?" Draco replied just before he closed the door behind him.

Harry groaned and slid back down into the covers.

*~*~*~*

"Ron Weasly… C, Hermione Granger… B, Pansy Parkinson… A, Draco Malfoy… D…" Snape was giving back their end-of-year test papers.  Draco stared at the bold red 'D' that was written on the front cover of his test.

"What?!" he yelled throwing his paper down.

"Something wrong Mister Malfoy?" Snape droned.

Draco held his tongue against saying anything, it could start an argument.  He knew why Snape was doing this to him, Draco had deserted Slytherin for his Gryffindor friends and so Snape is treating him like a Gryffindor.  "_Nothing sir," Draco answered through gritted teeth. "__Nothing what-so-ever…" His eye twitched._

Hermione leaned over and whispered to him, "Welcome to our world! You'll get used to it."

"HEH!" Draco huffed.  "I am NOT looking forward to next year!"

*~*~*~*

"You know why I have called you here?"

"Not really master."

"I have a small job for you and I think you will rather enjoy it."

"Me? What do I have to do?"

"I have a little back stabber in my group and your job involves getting him back to me."

"What can I do?"

"I chose you for a reason you know… it's to get him to rejoin my side and never to turn back.  I know him too well and so I know that he will not return to me unless forced."

There was silence for a while.  "Ah…"

"Tonight… do it tonight."

"Why do you want him back?"

"I need supporters.  I need a large army.  I don't approve of traitors and I will teach him a lesson for what he has done."

"What does he look like? What's his name?"

"His name is Draco Malfoy, you really couldn't miss him.  He has hair that is as good as white and grey eyes."

"How do I get near him?"

"I don't care how you do it! Just do as I tell you!"

"Yes master."

*~*~*~*

"You're very quiet.  What's wrong?" Hermione asked Draco.  They were standing outside the Great Hall.  Hermione was waiting for Ron to tear himself away from his fan club inside and Draco was walking out when he decided to wait with her.

Draco sighed, "I'm scared to go home…" 

"First time you have ever given me a straight answer!" She humoured but then she saw the look on his face and knew that he really was scared.  "Why?"

Again, Draco paused.  "Hermione, do you have any idea what my life is like back home on a normal basis?"

Hermione thought for a moment.  She had some idea that Draco's life at home would've been quiet good the way he was always going on about how big and luxurious his mansion is and that they have house elves doing all the work.  Although she had also thought that living with Lucius Malfoy would be a very traumatising experience seeing as he doesn't seem the nicest person to have lived.  "What?"

"If I do anything 'out of line' according to father then I get punished horribly.  Once I slid down the banister and I got locked up in the dungeon for five days for it! If I was to talk back, I get hit, if I was to continue standing up for myself, he uses the Cruciatus curse on me! Sometimes when he needs to let out some anger, who's the punch bag?" Draco pointed to himself.  "That's my life on normal terms… what's it going to be like now that I've turned my back on the dark side? I'll be begging to go to Hell by the end of it!"

Hermione was plainly horrified by this.  "Oh my God… Draco, why didn't you tell anyone?"

Draco just stared at her.  "Oh, that'll go down so well with my father won't it?"

"Then don't go home! Stay with me for the summer, I'm sure my parents won't mind.  They've let Harry and Ron stay before!"

Draco shook his head, "Thanks Hermione but my father seems to have a tracking device on me because he always finds me! I've run away before and, guess what? He found me! If he finds me with muggles… that'll just add to everything else…"

At that moment, Ron came out of the Great Hall with two seventh year Ravenclaws hanging on to one of his arms each.  

"I could get used to this!" he said to Hermione as he walked past.

Hermione sighed.  "Look, I'd better go and shrink Ron's head but I'll talk to you tomorrow.  And don't worry," she stroked the side of his face with her fingers, "everything will be okay!"

She began to walk away and Draco thought that now would be a good time to tell her.  To say why he couldn't stand the thought of Voldemort killing all the muggle-borns and why he had helped her.  "Hermione, I-" he started but Hermione cut in from the top of the main stair case.

"Tomorrow! We'll talk tomorrow!" And she was gone.

Draco sighed and kicked the wall before retreating down into the Slytherins dungeons.  He was just through the door when he remembered something.  _Your books… you've left them in the Hall you idiot!_

Draco groaned and walked back out and into the Great Hall.  It was now nearly empty and his books were still where he left them, for once the Slytherins hadn't hidden them on him.  _Better watch out with these, they haven't hidden them so they must've cursed them!_

He picked them up and turned around to see Hermione standing in front of him.  

"Hi Draco!" she said with a smile.

"…er… hi? Didn't you just…?" he pointed up and looked at her strangely.

"…er… no, well, I mean yes but I decided to come back down and tell you something," she stammered.

Draco nodded wearily, "Right… okay… tell me as we walk.  Did you take your necklace off?"

After the fight with Voldmeort, Draco had given Hermione a silver necklace with a small heart with a large cross stuck on the front of it as a pendant.  She loved it and said that she'd never take it off, yet, here she was without it.

"Necklace? Oh, I… er… had to take it off when I went for a bath in the prefect's bathroom.  I was scared of it coming off and losing it."

Draco smiled and nodded as he turned to walk out.  Hermione followed in a skip behind him, she stopped him when they got out into the Entrance Hall.  "I can't tell you everything here.  I've just come to tell you to meet me outside by the lake tonight at ten."

_Hermione breaking curfew?__ "W-well, why can't you tell me here... now?"_

"Because," she stepped closer to him and reached up to give him a kiss on his lips, "I don't just want to tell you things…" she smiled cheekily.

Draco was very taken aback by this and blinked a few times in case he had been dreaming, but he wasn't, Hermione was still standing there with her arms around him.  "O-okay… t-ten?" he stuttered.

"Yep, by the lake…" she tapped his nose with her finger and smiled at him again before running off up the stairs.

Draco still couldn't believe this but he just shook his head and carried on back down to the Slytherin Common room.  _That girl's getting weirder by the day…_

At that same time, Hermione was sitting in the common room thinking about that conversation with Draco while fidgeting with the necklace he had given her.  She thought about how she could help him instead of doing her homework.

Meanwhile, the Hermione he had just been talking to stopped at the door leading to Gryffindor tower.  She grinned evilly and her face grew paler, her eyes turned green rimmed with blood red, her lips looked bright red against her skin and her hair turned straight and black.  The girl chuckled evilly, "Foolish boy!" before disappearing in a wave of mist.

**So? I'm rushing the start of this fic because it does have a lot of things happening after the vampires get started.  I hope I haven't put any of you off by the start of this chapter but you need to know it for the background of the story.  Read and review, even if you already did 4 chapter 1, I really do appreciate them! Chapter 3 should be up very soon, sorry this one was late but I had a few glitches to work out and stuff.  Bye!**


	3. Chapter three

**Chapter three**

(A cruel chappie!)

Draco stared at the lake glittering in the moonlight as if hypnotised by it.  An uncomfortable feeling crept over him like a spider, making him feel fearful of the dark that surrounded him.  That old, Child-like has risen in him once again.  Something was going to happen and it didn't feel good, and yet he didn't move from where he was standing. 

There was some force keeping him there against his will.  If it was up to him, he would be running back up to the castle and getting Hermione and taking her up to the prefect common room instead of out here by the lake, where they were vulnerable to evil things.  Anywhere but here, even the shrieking shack seemed safe compared to out here.  He carried on staring at the sparkling lake, unable to look away.

He couldn't even think straight.  His mind was totally clear and this made him feel calmer.  Eventually the calmness overpowered the fearfulness and he began to feel sleepy.  He closed his eyes and slowly lay down on the grass…

*~*~*~*

_Draco opened his eyes and found that he was lying in total darkness.  He jumped up and stared around where he was standing but just saw black.  Out of nowhere he heard Voldemort's voice surround him in a threatening whisper; he recognised it as what Voldemort had told him to do before he had turned against the dark side._

_"I have something important for you to do young Malfoy… I want you to make sure that Potter's little friends don't get in the way.  You must kill them or they will ruin everything!"_

_Then Draco heard his own voice.  "K-kill them, sir?"_

_"Yes.  Your father has always been loyal to me and I think that it's about time that I gave you a chance.  See if you are as close to your father's personality as you are his looks."_

_"I… S-sir… I can't… kill them…"_

_"Of course you will.  Your father-."_

_"I am NOT like my father! I don't kill people on your command!"_

_"You will or you will have me to answer to, boy!"_

_After that, that memory faded away into silence.  Draco blinked and began to run at full pelt through the darkness.  He carried on running but he still remained surrounded in black, not seeing anything.  It came as a surprise to Draco when he tripped over something on the ground.  He fell face down on the ground and when he looked up again, he found himself lying in a forest._

_Draco crawled up onto his feet and stared around him.  The only sound was of Draco's heart pounding and him gasping for breath until there was a cold wind and Voldemort's voice rose around him again._

_"You'll regret that, Malfoy!... You will soon return to my side boy! You will come crawling back begging for forgiveness!... Never turn your back on me again…"_

_Draco covered his ears with his hands and started to run again in random directions.  Everything around him became blurry and began to spin.  He collapsed to the muddy forest floor and held his pounding head in his hands.  Soon the voice surrounded him again, each whisper was talking over the last and he couldn't make any of it out until the last thing, "You will come back tonight…"_

_At that point Draco looked up and saw at least six pairs of red eyes staring at him and coming closer.  Draco tried to yell but he was frozen with fear._

_"TONIGHT!"___

_*~*~*~*_

Draco's eyes flew open again and he was back beside the lake lying on the grass.  The moon had disappeared behind some clouds so everything was darker.  He swallowed that lump of fear in his throat and sat up.  _What was that all about? I don't like it at all any way, I'm outta here!  Draco stood up and looked at his watch.  It was quarter to eleven.  Draco swore under his breath and began to walk back into the castle but someone tapped him on the shoulder._

Draco spun around on the spot with his hand in his pocket and drew out his wand, pointing at whoever was there.  He wasn't taking any chances after that dream.

Standing in front of him was a girl about his age with long black hair, wearing all black, she was eye level with him and she had a pale face which made her bright green eyes stand out… big, bright eyes that Draco couldn't look away from.

"Hi," she smiled and winked at him.

"Hi… who are you?" Draco asked, not wanting to look away from those eyes.

"My name's Raven, and you are Draco Malfoy… aren't you?" she walked closer.

Draco had a bad feeling about this and wanted more than anything to run away back to the castle, but he couldn't move.  It was just like earlier when he was looking at the lake, he found that no matter how much he wanted to, he couldn't tear himself away.  _It's those eyes… look away from those eyes! Easier said than done._

"Yeah… how do you know that? I haven't seen you around."

"Everyone knows you Draco Malfoy," she put her arms around his waist.  She ignored the other thing Draco had said.

Draco couldn't move, it was as if he was hypnotised by her… was he?

"What's the matter? You're so… tense," she whispered pulling him closer to her.

By now, Draco was panicking.  He really did have a bad feeling about this and he couldn't get away.  This scared him.

Raven smiled, "Let me help you relax," she slowly reached up and kissed him softly on his lips.  

Draco's panic and worries drifted away as quickly as they had appeared.  His mind went totally blank, he was now doing things out of his control, he couldn't think his own thoughts and sometimes couldn't think at all, but that didn't matter.  He found himself kissing her back without knowing anything but he still felt relaxed and calm.  His wand dropped from his hand to the ground as he put his hands around her waist.

She stopped kissing him but stayed close to him with her arms tight around him and whispered, "Come with me…"  She grabbed his hand in her strong grip and led him away.

Draco followed willingly although not knowingly as she led him into the Forbidden forest.  They carried on going in deeper and deeper into the forest until she stopped and pinned him against a tree.

"What's going on?" Draco groaned, coming out of his trance.

"Ssssh! Don't say anything.  Relax," she put a finger on his lips to silence him before kissing him again.

Once again he drifted off to his blank, careless mode.  He didn't notice anything that was going on around him.  Her hands began to wander over his body as they kissed but he didn't take any notice of that or that Raven was undoing the buttons on his black shirt and pushing it off his shoulders.  He didn't care, all that mattered was that she didn't stop and this feeling stayed.  She began to stroke the right side of his neck lightly with her finger tips and then she kissed him there.  

Draco's blankness and calmness disappeared when he felt a sharp pain where she had kissed him.  Draco closed his eyes and cried out as the pain got worse and it began to burn.  He felt something hot trickle down the side of his neck and his strength seemed to drain out of him.  He soon felt too weak and his knees gave way so he slid down the tree to the ground but the pain remained.  He clenched his fists and his cries were beginning to fade away to moans of pain until he didn't even have the energy to make a sound and he just began breathing heavily.  His eyes began to water with pain and he felt a hand grip his tightly and he squeezed back.  Soon Draco found that he could hardly breathe and he was gagging for air but he felt as if his life was leaving him and couldn't take another breath.

Another burst of pain erupted but this time it surged through his whole body.  At this, his eyes flew open and he saw the moon staring down at him but then his eyes slowly began to close and he felt himself getting weaker and the pain began to ease… until there was total darkness and no more pain…

Raven felt his grip on her hand loosen until it was lifeless, at that she pulled back and wiped her mouth before putting his shirt back up over his shoulders and did the buttons up, covering the marks and whatever blood there was left.  She decided to play it safe and pulled out a knife she always kept in her pocket, in case she was ever attacked by a human, and she made a slit in between the bite marks and extended it round to the front of his neck so it looked like someone had slit his throat.  The thin, weak and slightly cold blood that was left in his body slowly trickled down his neck.  She smiled and leaned down to give him a quick kiss.

"See you soon," she whispered before disappearing out of sight.

*~*~*~*

Fang's ears pricked up and he began to howl and tug at the lead Hagrid had him on.

"Fang, stop that! What's wrong with you?" Hagrid pulled back on the lead.

Fang refused to go with Hagrid.  He had heard Draco's screams from the other side of the forest but Hagrid hadn't.

"Oh, alright Fang.  What is it?" Hagrid gave in and let Fang led him.  "It had better be good!"

A few minutes later, Hagrid followed Fang through a gap between two trees and turned a corner to see a black figure lying on the ground.  Hagrid knew the creatures in this forest too well and approached with caution, Fang hung behind.  As Hagrid got closer, he realised that it wasn't a creature… it was a human… one of the students.

Hagrid rushed forward and kneeled down beside them.  He put his lantern down and turned the person over.  Hagrid recognised the student straight away as Draco Malfoy.

"Oh Lord…" he whispered to himself as he saw the long cut on his neck.

*~*~*~*

_Where is he? Hermione thought. _

She had searched the Great Hall, the prefect Common room, the dungeons (getting some snide comments from the Slytherins), all of his normal hide outs, the towers and now she was outside in the grounds.  Not a sign of him.  

Hermione groaned and turned to walk back to the castle.  She heard a faint click as she accidentally kicked something that was lying on the ground.  Normally she wouldn't have looked, it was normal to find things hidden in the grass but something made her look.  She saw a wand lying on the ground, she looked at it for a second longer before she picked it up.  Hermione tossed it around in her hand for a while wondering who's it was and how it got there but she looked up when she heard her name.

"Hermione!"

Hermione stood up and turned round seeing Hagrid waving to her.

Hermione waved back, "Hi there Hagrid! Have-"

Hagrid cut in, "Come quick! I think you should know about this but I'm warning you, you won't like it!"

Hermione's smile faded and she ran over to Hagrid in a panic.  "What's wrong?" she panted placing the wand absent-mindedly into her pocket.

"Come in and see," Hagrid nodded to his hut and began to walk towards it.  Hermione followed rather reluctantly.

As soon as she stepped in she saw Draco lying motionless on Hagrid's sofa with one of Hagrid's towels over his body up to his chin.  Her eyes widened and she ran over to him and shook his shoulder.

"Draco? Draco?!" she shouted frantically in a state of panic.

"I've tried.  No good," Hagrid kneeled down beside her.  "I can't find a pulse and I don't know if he's breathing but he looks healthy enough… he couldn't be… you know…"

"Don't say it Hagrid!" Hermione yelled.  "Where did you find him?"

Hagrid twisted the bottom of his coat in his hands.  "In the forest… last night.  He looked unconscious and he had a damn deep cut on his neck."

Hermione breathed heavily as her eyes widened further.  She pulled the towel back and turned his head to the left and saw a long, deep slash right across the side and front of his neck.  She held back a yell as she remembered Voldemort saying that he will kill Draco for deserting him. 

 "Oh dear God…" she whispered, tears forming in her eyes.

**(Ok... what do you guys think? Good or should I quit my day job? It will get gorier, I swear! This was more of a descriptive chapter.  I usually take it in turns for descriptive and talkative chapters.  Anyway this is where the fic really gets going! Please r/r!)**


	4. Chapter four

**Chapter four**

(Thanks for the reviews peepz! In answer to ur questions and remarks… I am from Britain (Northern Ireland to be exact) and I will try to make it scary, it only gets scary when they realise about Draco.  I sortta rushed chappie 3 so I'm surprised u liked it, it's not even scary or gory! I will make it gorier if u want me to… reply to that in your reviews! In this chapter Harry's back in town! The middle part is boring!)

**Very important note!- I have edited chapter 3 slightly to make it more detailed and changed a few things! Don't worry, you don't need to read it again (unless u really want to) cos u will come across them in this chappie, just ignore anything that seems weird OK? Sorry 'bout that and thanks again!  
  
**

Harry burst out of the hospital wing laughing insanely.  "I'm free! Haha! I'm free at last!" he ran down the hall and burst into the Entrance Hall.  "Hello evil statue of Slytherin who is always attacking me… hello stained glass window, long time no see…" he trotted down the stairs to where a very freaked looking Ron was standing with Seamus, Dean and Neville.

Ron shook his head, "I knew this day would come.  Harry Potter has finally lost it!"

"I'm just so glad to be out of there!"

"We guessed that much!" Seamus nodded cautiously.

"Where's Hermione?" Harry looked around

"She went looking for someone… Malfoy I think…" Neville replied.

"Those two are getting too close for my liking!" Ron glared.

"Hermione knows better than that!" Dean looked up at Ron.

"She'll have Ron's temper to answer to if anything's-" Harry stopped when he saw Hermione rushing in through the doors leading to the grounds.  "Talk of the devil and he knocks on your door! We were just talking about you Hermione… Hermione are you OK?"

Hermione's eyes were red and puffy, tears were still streaming down her face and she was walking strangely quickly.  Harry held an arm out and stopped her from walking on.

"What's wrong? And don't say nothing, I know you and there is definitely something up!" he asked.

"Where's Professor Dumbledore's office?" she squeaked.

"Tell us what's wrong first, Hermione!" Seamus put a hand on her shoulder.

Hermione sniffed, "Something awful has happened…"

"What?" they all asked in the same irritated voice.

She shook her head. "I can't say here… where's his office?"

"It's hard to explain, Hermione, I'll take you if you want," Harry took her by the hand and began up the stairs.

"Thanks Harry…" she smiled slightly.

"I-I'll come too! Wait for me! See you later guys!" he added waving back at Seamus, Dean and Neville.

When they were nearing Dumbledore's office Harry asked again, "What's going on Hermione.  Tell us or we won't tell you the password!"

Hermione's eyes narrowed, "You will tell me that password whether you like it or not! If you want to know what's going on, you can go down to Hagrid's hut and find out for your selves because I really do not want to talk about it!"

"Is Hagrid OK?" Ron asked hurriedly.

"Hagrid's fine.  Now tell me the fucking password Harry!"

Harry's eyes widened.  It was very rare for Hermione to swear in any situation so whatever it was must've been terrible.  He decided it would be best to tell her then go straight to Hagrid.

"It's Fizzing Whizzbes.  We'll meet you at Hagrid's alright?" he put a hand on her shoulder.

"Yeah… thanks Harry," she smiled weakly and walked past them over to the statue of the eagle.  "Fizzing Whizzbes."

Soon after, Hermione was out of sight.

*~*~*~*

Harry ran the last two hundred yards to Hagrid's hut and knocked on the door.

"Hermione, yeh back already?" came Hagrid's familiar booming voice.

"No, it's Harry and Ron.  What's going on?" Harry called back.

There was silence for a moment before Harry could hear movement from inside and the door opened showing Hagrid's pale face.  Something has scared him good.  "Take it yeh found Hermione then?"

"Yes, she was in hysterics! What the hell is going on and don't you keep it from us either!" Ron added eyeing Hagrid evilly.

"I wasn't planning on keeping it from yeh, but yeh won't like it Harry, he'll be after you next," Hagrid moved back to let Harry and Ron in.

"Say what? Who? What's hap-" Harry asked as he stepped in and then his eyes fell on Draco lying on the sofa with a purple towel over him.  "Hagrid… please don't say… he's not… is he?" Harry knelt down beside Draco and gave him a shake.

"That's why Hermione's went ter fetch Dumbledore," Hagrid and Ron walked over to Harry's side.

"He's faking it!" Ron shook his head and sat down on Hagrid's 'one-seater' (that could've sat both Harry and Ron) and folded his arms.  "Doing it for attention he is!"

"I really don't think it's possible to pretend to be dead so convincingly, Ron," Harry turned round, Ron simply sat further back into the chair.

"Don't know if he's even dead, 'arry," Hagrid replied.  "He seems ter twitch sometimes an' he looks alright, not too pale or anythin'."

"Maybe he's stunned," Harry suggested hopefully.

There was a knock on the door and Hagrid rushed to answer it.  Dumbledore's voice floated into the small, dark hut.

"Where is he Hagrid?"  he asked calmly.

"Lying on the sofa Professor," Hagrid walked back over to where Harry was kneeling and Dumbledore walked in behind with Hermione creeping along the walls like a shadow.

Harry moved so Dumbledore could kneel down to look at Draco, Dumbledore nodded his thanks and Harry noticed that the sparkle had disappeared from his eyes and concern had settled in.  Dumbledore removed the towel that covered Draco and handed it to Hagrid who gave it to Hermione to put away so she didn't have to see.

Dumbledore turned Draco over, the coldness of his body sent a shiver up his spine and then he saw the deep, black/red slash and the dried blood on Draco's neck.  He leaned back in horror.

Harry had seen it at the exact same moment and whispered, "Holy shit… oh, sorry professor!" he added for swearing.  Ron just stared with a look of disgust on his face, plainly ready to throw up.

Dumbledore didn't reply but he touched the slash gently with a trembling finger.  Just as Hagrid had said, Draco's face twitched into a wince for a second before going blank again.  Dumbledore didn't react to this although he was getting more confused.  He took Draco's wrist and searched for a pulse with no success.  Finally, he hobbled up with his creaky bones and up onto the arm of the chair.

"I really don't understand this." He shook his head and sighed.  "What did you say that you thought happened?"

Hagrid sniffed, "I just found him in the forest last night, sir.  Hermione says that she thinks it was You-know-who… but I don't see how-"

"Neither do I Hagrid.  It doesn't seem the kind of thing he'd do.  Slitting throats isn't his style but also, there doesn't seem to be any sign of struggle, no other visible cuts or bruises or even any dirt.  If it was him, then I'm sure he would've tortured him first. I'm confused at this one." Dumbledore cut in.  "Another thing is the blood.  There should be more of it with a cut this deep."

"Maybe we should take him to the hospital wing," Hagrid suggested.

"Madam Pomfrey may possibly know what this is.  He can't be dead if he can react to my touch," he stopped and looked at the slit again, where a very small amount of fresh blood appeared.  Dumbledore brushed it off, "Or still bleed."

"Maybe it's a spell," they all turned round when they heard Hermione's voice.  "Maybe it's just like out of Romeo and Juliet.  Like when she took that poison that made her look as if she was dead.  Maybe it's a spell just like that."

"What would Voldemort gain from doing that?" Harry wondered outloud.

"We'd better take him to Madam Pomfey anyway.  I wouldn't like to announce that he's dead and then him waking up and walking around the school the next day!"

So Dumbledore put his cloak around Draco to keep him warm and cast a spell on him to make him light enough for Hagrid to carry without any problems.  They set off back to the castle and up to the hospital wing.

*~*~*~*

"OH DEAR LORD!" Madam Pomfrey exclaimed once she saw Draco and the slit on his neck.

"We simply need you to find out if there is a spell on him or if he, God forbid, really is dead.  We wouldn't like to bury the poor boy alive," Dumbledore explained calmly trying to calm the hysterical nurse down.

"Wouldn't want that now would we?" Ron muttered sarcastically.  Harry hit him hard in the ribs. Ron glared back.

Madam Pomfrey gulped, "I-I'll see what I can do Professor Dumbledore.  I'll have a look at him first thing tomorrow morning, now if you excuse me, I think I'm going to be sick!" she ran off.

Dumbledore told Hagrid to go and calm her down before taking the three teenagers out of the hospital wing.

"I'd better be on my way down to dinner.  You don't have to come down if you don't feel like eating, I know I don't." Dumbledore added to Hermione.

Hermione nodded as Dumbledore turned and walked away muttering  something like how could he let something like this happen.  He was obviously very concerned and felt like it was his fault.

Hermione sighed, "It's a spell… it has to be… he can't die, not after all that's happened.  It's not fair!" she cried.

Ron, who didn't seem to give a damn about Draco, gave Hermione a comforting hug.  He hated to see her like this.  It was Draco who was doing this to her and if it turns out that he's not dead, it wouldn't matter because Ron would kill him for what he has put Hermione through.

"He's still alive, Hermione.  He's probably just… stunned," Ron comforted.

"Yeah…  stunned…" Hermione whispered hopelessly trying to convince herself.

"What I want to know is, what was he doing out there in the first place and why would Voldemort, sorry Ron," Harry added seeing Ron flinch, "why You-know-who would do _that?"_

"I don't know and I don't care, I just want Draco to be OK," Hermione cried on Ron's shoulder.

"Come on, we'll get you up to the common room," Harry took her hand and led her back up to Gryffindor tower.

**(A/N- Getting bored now! Need something interesting to happen…)**

****

*~*~*~*

The clock in the hospital wing chimed mid-night, the ring echoed through the silent room.  Draco was still lying in his deathly stillness where Hagrid had left him until the twelfth chime.

On the second the final chime filled the room, Draco's eyes flew open wide in terror.  He scanned the room with his big, bloodshot eyes before shakily sitting up on the bed.  He looked down and saw that he was still wearing his black trousers, shirt and cloak.  

_How'd I get here? What happened? He thought in fear as he swung his legs over the side of the bed and tried to stand up._

Draco stood up and pain shot through him making him dizzy and fall back down onto the bed.  His head spun and he automatically rubbed the back of his neck.  He brought his hand around the side and felt something rough.  Draco gulped, jumped up and, despite the pain and dizziness, he ran over to the mirror to see what it was.

He stood in front of the mirror and stared.  No tall, pale, blonde haired teenager stared back.  All he could see was the room around him and yet, he seemed to accept this, he accepted the fact that his reflection had disappeared and no fear filled him.  All his fears floated away and realisation dawned, he grinned evilly just as he heard a noise.  Draco spun around on the spot when he heard the tapping sound coming from the window.

He looked over to see Raven hovering outside winking at him.  Draco ran over and let her in.

"Come with me.  We can't stay here," she whispered taking him by the hand and trailing him out the window.

"I'll fall!" Draco tried to pull back.

"You have so much to learn, you know that?" she gave one final pull and Draco toppled out the window.  Raven caught him by the arm before he fell.  "I'll have to teach you a thing or two."

Raven floated down so Draco could stand back on the ground.  She had barely touched down herself before she trailed him into the Forbidden forest.  She led him to a large clearing near the centre of the forest and let him go.

Draco didn't feel out of breath, in fact… was he even breathing? He couldn't tell.  Raven turned and smiled at him.

"Looking good Draco!" she smiled.

Draco smiled back, "I'm one of you now… aren't I?"

Raven pushed his collar back slightly and looked at the slash on his neck, which was rapidly healing itself.  "Yep.  One of us."  They both leaned in and kissed at the same time.

"I think someone wants a word with you…" Raven whispered once she had pulled away.

"Who?" Draco whispered back.

"Take my hand and I'll take you to them," she held out a pale, sharp fingered hand for him to take.  Draco took it and as soon the forest around them disappeared and a new surrounding materialised around them.

It was a large room with high, cracked windows and moonlight spilling through them.  Cobwebs were everywhere and still, muggle paintings were hung up around the room.  A chair sat in front of a roaring fire in  a huge fireplace and a familiar figure stood up when Raven spoke.

"Here he is, master.  Just as you wished." She took a few steps back.

Voldemort grinned and another figure, his father, stood up and stared at his son for a while before grinning just like Voldemort.  Voldemort advanced towards Draco, who didn't move from where he was standing.  Draco looked up at Voldemort with dark grey eyes rimmed with blood red, his face considerably paler than before with dark shadows under his eyes and his hair, which was already bordering on white, had turned pure white.

Voldemort seemed satisfied, "Welcome back young Malfoy.  You are back where you belong."

Draco grabbed his cloak and pulled in round his chest and bowed to Voldemort.  "Thank you master…"

**(MWAHAHAHA! Draco's evil now! I rushed the middle slightly, it was boring for me to write.  What do u all think then? It's getting on well now and it'll get going even more when they realise what's happened to him (chapter 6 if I'm not mistaken!) In the next chapter, Hermione is over the moon that Draco is still alive but Harry's not too sure about Draco's attitude now and Dumbledore finds out about Draco…**

**OH! Before I forget.  I want an international BETA reader and I want to know if any of you are interested! I will e-mail you new chappies so u can read them and tell me if it's good enough.  I already have a local one, my friend Nicky but I want one from another country.  Please say if ****ur**** interested in ****ur**** reviews! Thanx a bunch guys!)**


	5. Chapter five

**Chapter five**

**(I like this chappie! It's long though… about 7 or 8 pages I think… Enjoy!)**

****

At breakfast the next morning Harry noticed that Hermione was still disturbed.  She was poking her pancakes with her fork and her mind seemed distant.  Harry knew that it would be better to just leave her.

"I'm worried about her.  If it turns out that he is dead… what will happen to Hermione? She'll crumble!" Harry whispered to Ron.

"I'm concerned for her too but I'm thinking about… you know… if _he has managed to get Malfoy, then what's stopping him coming back to get us?" Ron looked fearfully up at Harry._

Harry stayed silent.  Ron was right, they were in sever danger but he didn't want to say anything that would scare Ron so he was thankful when there was a bit of an interruption.  Until it dawned on him what was going on.

Madam Pomfrey was hurrying up the hall calling Dumbledore.  Dumbledore stood up hastily.

"What has happened?" he asked.

Madam Pomfrey waited until she was level with Dumbledore before telling him.  Once she had finished explaining, Dumbledore excused himself from breakfast and rushed off with Madam Pomfrey right behind.

Harry and Ron looked at each other and then both focused their attention on Hermione.  She was staring after the two adults and then she threw down her fork and chased after them.

"Hermione! Get back here!" Ron called.

Harry stood up and ran out after Hermione.  "Harry?" Ron moaned.

All of the students that had noticed stared at him.  Ginny moved so she could sit next to her brother.

"What's going on? And don't use the, 'You're too young to understand' thing again!" she added glaring at him.

"Hermione's just gone insane, nothing to worry about."

"Tell me what's going on, Ronald!"

"You wouldn't understand!"

"I told you not to use that excuse!"

"It wasn't the 'You're too young' one though was it?"

"Please, just tell me," she begged.

"Hermione might tell you later.  Unless she takes a fit before that…"

Ginny eyed him strangely before getting up and sitting with her friends again.

*~*~*~*

"How did this happen?" Dumbledore asked as soon as he walked into the hospital wing.

"I-I don't know Professor! I just walked in this morning to check him like I said I would and he was… gone!" Madam Pomfrey replied in a hurried way.

"Someone would've seen him.  The ghosts patrol the corridors to all hours of the night.  At least we know he's alive anyway, that's one up side."

"T-the window was open when I came in," she told him in hope that that helped in some way.

"I don't think he jumped out the window.  Unless he really does have a death wish!" Dumbledore pointed out.

"What's going on? Is Draco OK?" Hermione's voice asked shrilly from outside.

Dumbledore turned round and saw Hermione standing in the doorway with Harry standing behind her. 

"This is really beginning to annoy me now Miss Granger but young Malfoy seems to have gone walkies on us!"

Hermione frowned.  "Gone? What do you mean gone? He wasn't exactly in a position to get up and just walk out last time I saw him!"

"I don't know how this could've happened.  This sort of thing only happens when-" Dumbledore broke off and stared as a thought occurred to him.

Hermione waited for a few seconds then prompted him, "When…?"

"Excuse me for a moment, I have to go look something up.  You two, go to class now, I'll see you both at dinner."  At that, he walked out.  Harry and Hermione stared at each other quizzically.

"You heard him.  Get to class, go on, the bell's going to go any minute!" Madam Pomfrey shooed them out.

*~*~*~*

"Gone?" Ron repeated for the one hundredth time as they sat down in the great hall for their dinner after their classes.  "How is he gone? Corpses don't just get up and walk away!"

"Ron, don't be gross!" Hermione replied.

"Yeah Ron, I'm trying to eat here!" Harry swallowed a piece of his steak with a disgusted look on his face.  "If he had just walked away, they would've found him by now anyway."

"He could be anywhere.  He could've wakened up and got frightened and ran off to hide somewhere.  What if he's scared now? In a lonely, dark room wanting some comforting…" Hermione's eyes watered at the thought.

"Typical of a woman to think that! Hermione, zombies don't have feelings…" Ron shook his head.

"Zombie? Ron, he probably wasn't dead in the first place.  He's not a zombie!" Hermione snapped back.

"Well, if a zombie that looks like Draco Malfoy comes and gets me in the middle of the night then I'll blame you!" Ron pointed his sausage on the end of his fork at her then took a huge bite out of it.

"Is Malfoy dead?" a voice piped up from behind them.

All three turned round to see a terrified looking Ginny standing behind them.

"'inny! Wha' a' 'ou 'oin' 'ere?" Ron asked with his mouth full of sausage, bits of half chewed sausage spat out as he spoke.

"Someone please translate that!" Harry looked at Ron.

 "He's asking what I'm doing here.  I'm here to get my dinner Ron and I'd appreciate it if you keep yours to yourself, I can get my own sausages thanks!" Ginny flicked off a bit of sausage from her shoulder with a wrinkled nose.

Ron swallowed.  "You shouldn't have been listening to us!"

"It's very hard not to over hear when you are talking about zombies! It kind of attracts people's attention."

"Ron's just being stupid!" Hermione told her before taking a drink.

"You didn't answer my question."  Ginny sighed.

"That's because, number one, you shouldn't know about it and number two, we don't know the answer to that either," Harry explained.

"Yes, we do! He's as dead as Hagrid's giant Venus fly trap!" Ron looked over at Harry.

Ginny was about to comment when Hermione cut in first.  "He can't be dead Ron! You saw the way he reacted to Dumbledore's touch yesterday!"

Ginny tried to cut in again but again someone got there first.  "Hermione, did you see that thing on his neck? If he's still alive after that one, I'll… I'll… eat my Transfiguration book!" Ron said pointing to his school bag.

"HELLO?! LISTEN TO ME!" Ginny yelled before anyone else got say anything.  Everyone stopped and looked up at Ginny.  "Now that I've finally got your attention, I'd like to ask you what the hell is going on!"

"Listen to us Ginny.  We don't know.  Hagrid found Draco lying in the forest and we thought he was dead but now he has disappeared from where we left him.  So now we don't know." Harry stood up.

Ginny's eyes widened.  "My God, what happened? How could someone die here? This is one of the safest places in the wizard world!" She began to panic.

Hermione and Ron stood up and all four of them began to walk out of the Great Hall.

"I know.  We think it was-" Hermione broke off when she saw a familiar face poke out of the door that lead to the dungeons, his hair lit up by the sunlight hitting his head.  

"Draco?" she called in a confused yet excited voice.

At hearing his name, Draco closed his eyes tight before he dodged back into the dungeon corridor.

"Draco, wait, come back!" Hermione shouted as she ran in after him.

Harry, Ron and Ginny stared.  Ron turned round and went back into the Great Hall.

"Where are you going?" Ginny asked.

"Going to get my Transfiguration book.  Wonder if it tastes better with ketchup or brown sauce?"

*~*~*~*

Hermione ran through the torch-lit corridor to try and catch up with Draco, but he was too quick.  The only way she knew where he was turning was the sound of his footsteps or the sight of his cloak after he turned a corner.

"Draco!" she called near out of breath, "Please, come back! What the bloody hell is wrong with you boy?"

Hermione turned around a corner and saw a long corridor in front of her, but no Draco.  The corridor was lit only by a few torches so it was a bit dark but Hermione could see down the middle of the corridor clearly until the end, no sign of life. She stopped and caught her breath as she leaned against the stone wall.  _Did I just imagine it? Do I want him to be back so bad that I imagined him being there? She asked herself.  __No.  No, Harry, Ron and Ginny saw him too… where is he then? Was it a ghost? Possibly.  A zombie? Oh God, now I'm just being as stupid as Ron!_

"Hermione!"

Hermione screamed slightly as she was snapped out of her thoughts by a chorus of voices calling her.  She turned around to see Harry and Ginny coming around the corner.

"Where is he?" Ginny asked looking around the dark corridor.

"Gone," Hermione replied shortly.  "I think we imagined it…"

"Not a chance! Since when have we all imagined something at the same time? It was him!" Harry argued.

"Stop trying to kid yourself Harry.  It might've been a sign… telling us that he's gone and never coming back…"

"Hermione! Stop it!" Harry snapped.  "You're just upsetting yourself further.  I know what I saw and what I saw was Malfoy!"

"Harry's right, Hermione," Ginny backed him up.

Hermione didn't know why but she really did have a bad feeling about this Draco that she saw.  She couldn't tell why but what she had just said seemed to be the only logical answer.  Draco was dead.  Hermione was going to say so but thought that she'd better not.  Harry and Ginny will just think she's gone completely off her head.

"Hey guys! I came back out of the Great Hall and you had gone! I came down here thinking you'd followed Hermione and for once I was right!" Ron grinned.  "What?" They were all looking at him darkly.

"It wasn't Draco… we must've imagined it.  People don't just disappear into thin air." Hermione sighed.

"Ron… knock some sense into her!" Harry looked up at his best friend.

"Imagined it? Why would I imagine seeing Malfoy standing in a doorway?"

"I rest my case Hermione!" Harry grinned.

"There's something wrong… something's not right at all!" Hermione shook her head.

"Yeah, it's your head!" Ron took her by the hand.  "Now come on, lets go get you a nice cup of tea, OK?" he led her off closely followed by Harry and Ginny.

"Something is definitely not right! I felt it when I was chasing him! Don't you feel it?" she asked anxiously.

"The only thing I feel is concern for your sanity, girl! Now come on, a cup of tea and a good nap will set everything right!" Ron replied.

Harry felt a chill and a shiver ran up and down his spine.  He stopped and turned round but saw nothing but the lonely, dark corridor.  He had the feeling he was being watched… being watched by something beyond evil.  He walked back wards a few steps to watch the corridor in case anything jumped out at him before he turned the corner to walk back to the Gryffindor common room with his friends.

When they were gone, Draco stepped out from the darkness like a shadow and stood staring at the corner even though they were long gone.  His dark eyes narrowed and he turned swiftly around on his heels, and began walking briskly down the semi-lit corridor.  He would deal with her later.

*~*~*~*

"There is nothing wrong with me!" Hermione argued sitting up on the sofa.

"It'll do you good to have a rest anyway! You've been through a lot lately," Harry sat down beside her.

"Listen, we'll get you a hot cup of tea and you can relax, OK? You seem a little… tense," Ginny said summoning a cup for Hermione's tea.

"I am not a child! I do not need your mothering!" Hermione carried on arguing her case.  "I feel fine now! I just-"

"Went totally nutters!" Ron finished for her.

"I know you all think I'm nuts but you didn't feel what I did!"

Harry fidgeted slightly but said nothing.

"Trust us! A nice shut eye can help!" Ginny handed her a cup of tea.

"Better accept it Hermione! We will never do this again!" Ron folded his arms and shook his head.

Hermione thanked Ginny and walked up to her dormitory.  The fire was already lit and the room was at a nice heat.  She took a sip of tea and lay down on her bed, staring blankly at the ceiling.  Hermione thought it would be better not to think too much about Draco but she was scared.  She lay awake for a while longer before the heat and worry got to her.

*~*~*~*

_Hermione laughed from the stands as she watched the two boys flying around the stadium on their broomsticks.  Harry flew in loops the whole way across the pitch while Draco stood on his broomstick like a skateboard.  It was a warm day, the sun was shinning and Hermione was enjoying herself watching her two friends show off to her._

_"Hey, Hermione! Check this out!" Draco yelled to her as he did a handstand on his broomstick.  Hermione clapped and then laughed as Draco crashed into the stands._

_Draco fell down under the cover of the Ravenclaw eagle and his head poked out a second later._

_"I'm… OK!" he called, reaching inside the cover for his broomstick._

_Harry hovered above him.  "You're an idiot, Malfoy!"_

_"You die now for that one Potter!" Draco laughed mounting his broomstick and chasing Harry around the stadium._

_Hermione couldn't stop laughing and smiling, it seemed her good mood couldn't be broken.  She watched as Draco chased Harry higher into the sky until Harry swiftly changed to a spectacular dive.  Draco seemed confused for a moment but Harry's actions sunk in a split second later and he turned to follow.  Hermione knew what Harry was up to.  The Wronski Feint.  She watched with great interest._

_Harry had nearly reached the ground with Draco right on his tail when something long and black like a shadow flew across the pitch.  It covered itself around Draco and dragged him off his broom, as soon as Draco was off, it disappeared.  Draco hit the ground with a crack that could be heard around all around the stadium.  He tumbled a few times before stopping and lying completely still._

_Hermione screamed, "DRACO!" before she ran at top speed down from the stands and onto the pitch.  _

_Everything had changed dramatically when she came out onto the pitch.  It was now very cold and very dark like a clear, moonless night.  She ran over to where Draco was lying on the ground and collapsed beside him.  She lifted his head up and saw that the right side of his face and neck was totally covered in blood.  She began to panic._

_"HARRY?" she called for her best friend in hope that he would help, but Harry had gone.  They were alone in the cold, dark stadium._

_Hermione looked back down at Draco.  Draco's eyes flew open and he began to breathe heavily._

_"Draco… it's OK… everything's-" she began but Draco's strained voice stopped her._

_"H-help me… p-please… you g-gotta help m-me…" his choked._

_"Draco… what's wrong? Why do you need my help?" Hermione's mouth went dry._

_"T-trapped… eternity… n-no way out… i-it's g-gone… I'm l-lost…help me!"_

_"Draco? What?"_

_Draco didn't answer her.  Instead he pulled her forwards so her face was so close to his, she thought that he was going to kiss her, but he didn't.  He just whispered, "Don't look into its eyes! Dangerous… horrible death… don't!"_

_Hermione was getting more afraid and confused.  "Draco, I don't understand.  What's going on?"_

_"PROMISE ME!" Draco yelled taking Hermione by surprise.  She looked around her in hope that she'd find someone to help her but the stadium was still lifeless.  When she looked back down, Draco was gone too.  Hermione stood up and found that she was shaking with fear and her head buzzed with confusion.  She finally heard footsteps behind her and turned gratefully around._

_Draco was standing behind her, but there was something different about him.  There was a colder feeling around him, an air of pure evil, his face was deathly pale and his eyes were dark like deep oceans… deep enough to drown in.  _

_"Hello Hermione," he said to her as he walked closer._

_There was something about his voice, the way he walked and that smile… there was something very wrong about it.  A feeling inside her told her to run, and she did.  She ran away from him without looking back and she didn't stop until she reached the Entrance Hall.  She leaned against the wall to catch her breath and closed her eyes._

_Hermione took a deep breath and opened her eyes.  Draco was sitting on the stairs, not looking tired at all.  He grinned at her._

_"You should know better.  You can't run from me," he shook his head as he walked towards her again.  Each step seemed like he was gliding, barely touching the ground.  He stopped when he was standing right in front of her, dark eyes shinning with malice._

_"Watch me!" Hermione hissed before she dodged off to the right and ran up the main staircase.  When she reached the door to the Gryffindor tower she stopped and looked behind her.  Draco hadn't followed her.  She turned back round to go through the door and Draco was standing right in front of her, their noses nearly touching he was that close._

_Draco pushed her backwards and swung her round into the stone wall with a force that made Hermione feel dizzy and see stars in front of her for a few seconds.  She began to fight against his grip but with no success._

_"Get off me!" she cried.  "HARRY? RON? HELP!"_

_Draco laughed softly.  "They can't help you.  No one can hear you."_

_Hermione swallowed her fear and confusion.  What was he going to do to her? "What the hell are you playing at?"  She glared at him, their eyes meeting, then everything was okay.  She felt calmer and safer._

_"You're so paranoid aren't you? Chill," he whispered rubbing her shoulders._

_Hermione relaxed at his soothing touch and voice.  Why was she so scared to begin with anyway? It was just Draco._

_Draco leaned forward and kissed her.  At first Hermione felt good but soon, there was that bad feeling again and something rose in her throat.  She snapped back and tried to fight Draco off but couldn't.  She felt whatever was in her throat rise and she began to choke just before she found out what it was that was making her choke.  Blood._

_Blood was rising in her throat and making her choke.  She felt the blood fall down the sides of her mouth and down her neck.  She could taste that horrible metallic taste of it in her mouth.  She felt like she was dying and wanted more than anything for it to stop but blood still came up her throat and out of her mouth as Draco kissed her.  She tried to pull away but Draco had a good grip on her and when she tried to turn away, he held her head.  The blood covered his hands._

_Finally he pulled away.  Hermione felt the blood stop and she began gasping for breath, she felt like she was going to faint any second but Draco held her up with blood covered hands._

_"You find out… and you will join me…" he whispered._

_Hermione fainted._

*~*~*~*

Hermione jumped and sat up on her bed.  She was breathing heavily and her eyes were wide with fear.  She turned and looked at her alarm clock which was flashing '02:19'.

_Just a dream Hermione thought thankfully.  She didn't believe in dreams meaning things, that's one reason why she had dropped Divination, it all seemed so stupid.  It was just a nightmare and she'd had it because of what she was thinking about earlier._

Hermione sighed and swallowed.  As soon as she did, she panicked.  She could taste blood in her mouth.  She licked her lips nervously and still tasted blood.  Her heart began to race as she took one more test.  She touched the side of her face and neck and looked at her hand.  Thin red blood trickled over her fingers.

Hermione screamed.

**(OK, this chapter went on a bit more than expected so the part that was supposed to be the end of this chapter will be the end of the next chapter instead.  What do u all think then? Please R/R! I actually did research for this! The whole kissing and blood thing… the kiss of death! PLEASE R/R!!!!!)**


	6. Chapter six

**Chapter six**

**(I hate this damn chapter!**** Next one's better, they actually manage to put two and two together! Thanks to Loki who reviewed chapter 5, much appreciated mate! AND a BIG thankies to Finchette Malfoy.  I don't hate you! Normally people don't bother to reply more than once.  I'm glad u r all enjoying it and I'm sorry that this is late but I got annoyed at it cos it wasn't going right, that's why I hate it! The plot gave me some difficulty too so… AAARGH! And poor old Dumbledore…)**

****

It took a while for Hermione to gather the strength to look at her alarm clock.

'07.30'

She groaned and rubbed her head which was pounding painfully and constantly.  It hurt to think or move, she tried to sit up but she just felt dizzy.  She was on her own in her prefect dormitory so she couldn't talk to anyone and ask them to help her.

Something had scared her last night, she remembered waking up and screaming but anything before that was clouded by mystery.  The more she tried to think about it, the more her head pounded so she just lay back down and closed her eyes.  No school for her today.  Her mind slowly erasing what had happened the day before and the blood that had been there only a few hours ago had totally disappeared as if nothing had happened.

*~*~*~*

Harry and Ron sat in their normal seats in Herbology, the seat in between them where Hermione would normally sit was empty.

"I know I told her to relax but… this is not like her!" Ron looked strangely at Harry.

"She's probably just sick or, God forbid, distressed," Harry replied poking the blue and purple plant that Professor Sprout had placed in front of the two of them.  "What the hell is this?"

Silence.

Ron sighed, "So strange not having Hermione being all swotty and correcting us."  Ron's face brightened.  Harry knew that Ron had just had an idea.  "You know… none of this would've happened if Malfoy had stayed the way he was.  I mean, he got friendly with Hermione, goes and gets the shit kicked out of him, gets Hermione all worked up then he scares Hermione half to death by doing his disappearing act twice! If I get my hands on that little rodent, he will be SO sorry!"

"Ron," Harry started and then paused.  Ron knew that Harry was going to say something to defend Draco.  "You're right!"

Ron blinked.  "Say that again, that sounded good!"

"Wait! You're right about the fact that none of this would've happened because we'd all be dead now if it wasn't for him!"

"You just have to keep bringing that up don't you?"

"'cos you can't get it into your head, that's why!"

"He's still evil I tell ya and now I do think that he is alive because I think it's all an act! He'll get friendly with us by making us all worried about him and believing that it was You-Know-Who that did it and then he'll stab us in the back! Can't you see that?"

"No! Ron, he has changed and I don't think that what happened to him that night was any accident! Voldemort did it and did it intentionally!"

"Yeah! Now thanks to Malfoy, we're gonna get it too!" Ron didn't even flinch at Voldemort's name he was that intent in arguing his case.

Harry gave up.  Ron had a point but he still thought that Draco had changed… where ever he was…

*~*~*~*

"Ginny!" Ginny looked up from her lunch and saw her brother and Harry walk over and stand on either side of her.

"What's up?" she asked worriedly.  They didn't do this on a normal basis with those looks on their faces and without Hermione.

"Did you see Hermione up in the girl's dormitories this morning?" Harry asked.

Ginny frowned.  "No… why, is she gone?"

"She wasn't in classes this morning and we want to see how she is.  In case she's sick," Ron answered.

Ginny thought for a moment before replying, "Well, she wasn't in the girls' dormitory so my guess is that she's in her own prefect dorm.  Try there."

"Where is it?" Ron and Harry asked in unison.

"Is it anywhere near the boys' prefect room?" Harry asked.  He was a prefect, to Ron's fury as he wasn't one! Ron had been a bit bitter towards Harry for a while after but it all blew over.  It didn't help him when he found out that Draco was also a prefect! Harry had always invited him into the boys' prefect common room for a quiet chat when the Gryffindor common room was too crowded.  Only problem was, it was never a quiet chat because Draco was always messing around in the background somewhere or asking annoying questions.

Ginny blinked and then sighed, "Come on, I'll show you."

Ginny led them out of the Great hall and down a set of stairs that Harry had never been down before then down a long corridor leading to a portrait of the four founders.  Godric Gryffindor smiled down at them broadly, wearing long robes of ruby red, Rowena Ravenclaw nodded at them and Helga Hufflepuff waved royally at them… Salazar Slytherin took one look at their Gryffindor badges and glared at them with distaste.

"Nice to see you too, you grumpy old crackpot!" Ron said sarcastically glaring back.

Slytherin's eyes narrowed and he turned around swiftly, making his emerald green cloak fly out around him, and he stalked off out of the painting.  Gryffindor's grin broadened and he winked at the three of them.

"Demiticus osuro," Ginny said to them.

The three remaining founders grabbed their wands and pointed it to the centre of the portrait.  A few seconds later, the portrait split into two parts making a doorway big enough for them to crawl in through.

Ginny took them up a twisting flight of stairs to a door, Hermione's room.

"Hermione? You there?" Ginny called.

There was silence for a minute until they could hear movement and then Hermione's voice.

"What's wrong?" she moaned in a tired, cracked voice.

"Harry and Ron are here.  They want to know if you're OK, you weren't in class," Ginny called back.

"I have a headache, that's all," she replied in her normal voice.  What she asked next took the three of them by surprise.  "Is Draco OK?"

"How are we supposed to know? We lost him, remember?" Harry asked.

"No we didn't.  He's up in the hospital wing; Madam Pomfrey was going to see what's wrong with him.  He is alive you, know… I can feel it!" 

Harry, Ron and Ginny stared at each other.

"Hermione, what day is it?" Ron asked.

"Monday you dolt!"

"It's Tuesday!" Ron replied.

"No, no! It's Monday.  Yesterday was Sunday, I remember that, it was the day we found out about Draco… have you been to see him yet?"

"She's lost it!" Ron muttered to Harry.

"… er, we'll go now… OK?" Harry called.

"Great! He will be OK, won't he?"

"It's not him I'm worried about! She has totally lost it this time!" Ron muttered again.

"Sure, we'll be back after classes OK?" Harry began to walk away.  Ron and Ginny followed.

"Ginny, go back down to the Great Hall.  Ron, up to my prefect common room, now!" Harry ordered.

"Why can't I help?" Ginny glared.

"Because you're not a part of our little Scooby detective gang.  Now go!" Ron answered.

"Humph!" Ginny walked away towards the Great Hall while Ron and Harry ran up to the Boys' prefect common room.

*~*~*~*

"Do you think she really has gone insane on us? Normal people tend to know what day it is and what happened the day before!" Ron asked sprawling out over the black leather sofa.

Harry paced up and down in front of the fire.  "She's just sick.  Your mind can play up when you're very sick."

"She seemed fine last night… not sick anyway…"

"People can get sick very quickly.  She's been through a lot lately with that encounter of the evil kind and with this whole episode concerning our dearest Draco! I can see why she has broken down like this."

"All seems a little odd doesn't it… now that you mention Malfoy and You-know-who," Ron rubbed the back of his neck.  The bell went but neither of them moved.

Harry rolled his eyes.  "Ron, this has nothing to do with your theory!"

"How do you know?"

"Because… because I trust him!" Harry paused to think about what he was going to say.

Ron raised an eyebrow.  "That's what he wants, for you to trust him! Do you believe his word over mine?"

"Your word is just a thought… Ron, when I was in the hospital wing, Draco came to visit me and told me why he helped us like that.  He was able to look me in the eye and tell me and I could tell that he wasn't lying.  The look in his eyes was different, there was no trace of malice in them… he couldn't be lying to me!"

"Then why is he playing up like this? Why did he run and hide from Hermione?" Ron asked unusually calmly.  "First he plays dead then we see him up and running around and then he hides from us! I think he's up to something and trying to hide something from us!"

"How is Hermione's memory connected to Malfoy? Why do you think it's him?"

"Hermione was fine until she chased him.  I still think he's done something to her!"

"Why interfere with her memory? What would he gain?" Harry was determined to show Draco's innocence in all this.

"I don't know! It's his plot, he's the criminal mastermind here… oh, wait… that's giving him far too much credit!"

"Prove it's him!"

"Prove it's not!"

"I will! I'm going to find him and see what's going on!" Harry walked over to the stairs.

Ron stood up.  "What are you going to say to him then, 'Oh, hi there Malfoy, I was just wondering if you have been wiping people's memories or plotting anyone's death lately?'! Yeah, nice plan Harry!"

"I'm going to use my dad's invisibility cloak and hide in the Slytherin common room.  If Malfoy does have anything to do with this then the rest of them are bound to know! And if he doesn't have anything to do with it then will you please close the matter?"

Ron looked up at Harry darkly.  "What if he does?"

Harry thought for a moment.  "I'd be surprised but we'll find a way to deal with him before it goes further…"

*~*~*~*

"Oh my God, did you check out what she was wearing?"

"Ya, like, hello? Fashion sense?"

"And her hair!"

All five started giggling in high-pitched squeals.  Harry was close to crossing the line between sanity and insanity as he followed a group of five fourth-year Slytherin girls to the Slytherin common room.  It had been four years since he had last been after all but following this lot was the worst decision ever, it was torture!  How did Draco ever put up with those banshees? _Draco had better bloody well appreciate what I am doing for him!_

The five girls stepped through the entrance hole into the common room and Harry jumped in just before the entrance closed.  He looked around the familiar room.  It hadn't changed, although he never expected it to anyway, it was still slightly bigger than the Gryffindor common room but it was still colder, darker and harder looking.  Harry couldn't see Draco anywhere so, to take extra precautions, he sat down in between the sofa and the wall and waited for any relevant information.  His ears pricking up when he heard certain words or names but it just ended up being about something else like homework or a joke about Harry.  All Harry had to do was wait but he felt that he could be waiting for quite a while.

Harry must've dosed off because he jumped awake when he heard a familiar voice shouting.  Draco's voice.

"No, not yet! No one can know until the master's ready!"

Then Harry heard another voice but he couldn't see anything because he was hiding behind the sofa but he listened.  It was another boy that sounded about their age.

"I know that Malfoy! What I want to know is has anyone noticed anything? Anyone suspect anything's going on?"

Harry frowned and swallowed.  He hoped that it wasn't what it sounded like.

"I reckoned that that mudblood Granger suspected something, but I dealt with her.  Doesn't remember a thing!"

"Anyone else?"

There was silence for a moment which told Harry that Draco was thinking.  "No.  Don't think so."

"What about Dumbledore or Potter?"

"Dumbledore? Probably, he's not stupid and Potter? Ha! Enough said!"

Harry narrowed his eyes and clenched his fists.  Ron was right, Draco was up to something.  Harry felt so stupid for believing Draco in the first place.

"Keep it up Malfoy, but keep on the look out too.  If anyone finds out, the master's plan will go wrong… and he's not a very forgiving person, so unless you want to be no more, you'd better stay where you are for a while!"

Harry had to get a look at this mystery person.  He was in his invisibility cloak after all so neither of them will see him.  He crawled out and poked his head around the corner.  

Draco was standing beside the roaring fire, leaning on the mantelpiece casually wearing black, high-neck robes and a black cloak.  His hair looked paler and no light reflected off his normally glittering eyes.  He looked healthy enough, it was as if he was never hurt. This confused Harry. The other boy was taller than Draco and had long, messy, dirty-blonde hair.  He had his back to Harry so he couldn't see the other boy's face.  Harry edged out further to get closer but he stopped when he looked up and saw Draco staring straight at him, eye to eye.  Harry's heart missed a beat and began to race.  The other blonde boy began to speak again but Draco didn't take his eyes off Harry.

_How can he see me? Can he? Harry thought.  Did he dare make a run for it?_

"MALFOY!"

Draco looked away from Harry.  "Hmn? Sorry, what was that?"

"What are you staring at?"

Harry shrunk back slightly.

Draco slowly stared back down at Harry and grinned malevolently.

The boy turned around.  He had startling blue eyes half-hidden by his long hair and a pale face.  He grinned when he saw Harry.

_How can they see me? This is not right!_

Draco walked over swiftly to where Harry was sitting and pulled his invisibility cloak off.

"Hello Potter… nice of you to join us!" he grinned.  There was something wrong about that grin, something sinister and not normal.

"Yeah but I think I've out-stayed my welcome, so I'll just leave you two to your… er… chat! Bye!" Harry tried to get up and run but Draco put his arm around Harry.

"Out-stayed your welcome? Oh, come now Potter.  You're very welcome here… you're just not welcome to leave yet," Draco narrowed his eyes.

"I trusted you! You cheating, lying bastard! What are you up to?" Harry snarled.

Draco laughed with a mouth full of straight, sparkling, sharp teeth.  "Do you honestly think that I'm going to tell you?"

"You know too much as it is," the other boy said from Harry's other side.

"I'll tell Dumbledore about this! He'll put an end to your party plans!"

"You're not going to tell anyone, Potter," Harry looked round to face the taller boy and found himself staring into his bright blue eyes, unable to look away.  "You won't know a thing…"

_He's hypnotising you, look away damn you! Harry's mind told him but it was hard and it took all his will-power to do it, but eventually he closed his eyes and turned away._

"You're not as stupid as Malfoy makes you out to be, Potter!" the blonde boy laughed shortly.

Harry decided to make a run for it now, he had to get away and tell Ron before something bad happened.  He reached into his pocket for his wand slowly and unnoticeably, keeping his eyes firmly shut.

"It won't help you know, we will-"

"Pardeserum!" Harry yelled as he quickly drew out his wand and pointed it in front of him.  He knew that he had hit one and so opened his eyes and made a dash for the exit.

"GET HIM!" Harry heard the blonde boy yell in a choked voice.

Draco was already chasing after Harry.  Students returning to their common rooms for curfew dodged out of their way in freight.  Harry was getting tired but didn't slow down; he kept running at top speed towards his prefect dormitory where Ron would be waiting.

Harry ran out of the dungeons and closed the door in Draco's face, which should buy him some time.  The dim late evening daylight was fading away but it was still strong enough to make Harry blink after being down in the dark dungeons for so long, he had to stop for a moment before he could go on to get his vision back properly.  He heard the dungeon door open behind him and spun round wand at the ready to face Draco.

Draco took a few steps out and stopped, the sun-light lighting up his pale face and high-lighting his already white hair.  His eyes widened and he yelled as he pulled his cloak over his face and backed away back into the dungeon corridor.

"Don't think you've gotten away Potter! I will deal with you later!" with that, he ran off.

Harry stared at the door for a while longer in confusion, what was that all about? But he wasn't complaining that Draco was no longer chasing him and so he carried on running up to the prefect common room.  He had so much to tell Ron.

*~*~*~*

Hermione sat up and rubbed her eyes.  She'd had it again… that feeling of deja vous (?).  She saw Draco standing in the darkness crying out for help then she would be in her dormitory with blood over her face and neck in her dreams again.  She'd had little blurry visions like that all day and she could help but think that it had happened before. 

Her head felt better now and she wanted more that anything to go for a walk and stretch her legs… and get something to eat while she was at it!

She knew it would be better to go to the kitchens and get something because it was already eight o'clock.  She would go back to the Gryffindor common room after, she wanted to see Harry and Ron.

*~*~*~*

"This is bad, Harry… very bad!" Ron said again shaking his head.  "Did I mention that I told you so?"

"What did I say about saying that?" Harry narrowed his eyes.

 "I'm sorry," Ron grinned not looking very sorry at all.  "this just rarely happens.  Me right, you wrong!"

"OK, can we stick to the dilemma in hand here before Malfoy kills me?"

"You didn't hear what he was up to?"

"No.  It has something to do with Voldemort but I got caught before they went on.  I've never seen that other boy before though…"

"Probably from another year.  And Malfoy couldn't catch you? Pathetic!"

"He just… stopped.  We ran out into the Entrance Hall and he ran back into the dungeons… it was as if he couldn't go out there or something… but that's not important, what is important is the fact that he is up to something and we need to deal with him before this plan of his goes ahead, or stop it if it has!"

Ron groaned, "Do we have to do it ourselves? Fighting the forces of evil once is enough!"

"Well, we could take the easy way out!"

"What's that?"

"Snitch! Come on, we'll go find Dumbledore!" Harry walked out of the common room closely followed by a satisfied looking Ron.

*~*~*~*

Hermione had stayed in the kitchens for longer than she had planned.  The house-elves insisted upon her staying with them for a cup of tea (Dobby's idea!) and a chat.  Of course Hermione was always set to treat them as equals and said that she would love to stay.  By the time she left, it had dropped dark and she had to sneak around to avoid getting caught out after curfew.

_OK, I'll go back to the Gryffindor common room and talk to Harry and Ron.  They're probably worried about me. She thought as she walked out into the Entrance Hall but she stopped as she saw something out of the corner of her eye.  Hermione turned round to look at the stained glass window that was placed high on the wall above the main stair case, but it wasn't the window that caught her eye, their was someone sitting on it's window ledge._

"Draco?" she called, "Is that you?"

Draco slowly looked down at her and smiled.  "The one and only!"

Hermione smiled broadly, "You're OK! I knew it, I knew it!"

Draco jumped off the window ledge and ran down to her.  Hermione ran into his arms and hugged him close to her, near to tears with happiness and relief.

"Thank God you're alright! I was so scared that you were dead, we all were!" she choked.

"Didn't know Weasley cared…" Draco drawled.

"He does really! Lets see," she drew back slightly and went to examine his neck.  "It's gone."

"Madam Pomfrey saw to that," Draco replied rather quickly, but Hermione didn't notice, she wanted to know more.

"What happened?" Hermione had been busting to ask him this.

"That's exactly what I want to know mister Malfoy."

Draco jumped and drew away from Hermione so quickly that it made Hermione blink, startled.  She looked up and saw Dumbledore standing at the top of the main staircase.  Draco was looking up at him with a look of surprise… or was it fear?

"P-p-professor Dumbleodre, sir… Y-you startled me…" Draco stammered.

Dumbledore walked slowly down the stairs while saying, "Nice to see you well again.  Looks like it'll take more than that to get rid of our Draco, eh?"

Draco didn't reply.

"Care to re-live your experience with us? Maybe we will be able to stop this happening again.  You can start by telling me what you were doing out there after curfew." Dumbledore's eyes fell on Draco's.

Draco looked away and stared at the ground.  "I-I was out there… for a walk, it hadn't dropped dark yet but I fell asleep by the lake and when I woke up again, it was dark." He muttered.

"So you weren't in the forest?"

"No sir."

"How did you get in the forest then?"

"I was walking back up when someone grabbed me and trailed me in."

"Who?"

"I couldn't see, they had a mask."

"And did they attack you?"

"Yes, there were more of them in there.  They had wands and other weapons… all I had was my wand."

"Do you remember anything else?"

"No.  I just felt pain and then nothing…"

"Care to explain how you have gotten better so quickly and where you have been the past few days?"

Now Draco was stuck, he couldn't say anything about Madam Pomfrey because he knew that Dumbledore knew that he had disappeared before she could do anything.  _He knows what's going on! Think Draco think! _

"Didn't Madam Pomfrey heal it?" Hermione asked looking confused.

Dumbledore stared at her then looked at Draco.  Draco could feel Dumbledore's eyes on him and he looked up, their eyes met.  Draco could tell that Dumbledore could see right through him… see the truth.

"Ah yes… sorry about that, my memory isn't what it used to be." He still kept his eyes on Draco.

At that point Harry and Ron appeared.

"That was quick! He must be able to read minds!" Ron laughed.

"Is there some sort of party going on here or something?" Harry looked down at everyone.

"Everything is fine Harry, I was just checking on mister Malfoy here.  Everything seems to be normal and I am happy that he has recovered.  Now if you don't mind, I'm going back to my office, I have some books to read." Dumbledore passed Harry and Ron, who had looks of shock on their faces.

"B-but Professor, we have something important to tell you!" Harry spat out as he ran after Dumbledore.

"Yeah, you might want to reconsider what you just said about Malfoy!" Ron followed.

Draco glared after them.  _Everything is falling apart, the master's plans are going to be ruined and it'll be my fault! I can't let this happen!_

"What's wrong?" Hermione asked.

"I feel sick, I'm going to bed."

Hermione stared after Draco with a raised eyebrow.  There was something wrong, something he wasn't telling her.  She again felt as if she was missing something important and it made her feel uncomfortable and vulnerable.

*~*~*~*

Dumbledore rubbed his head as he closed the book.  He had just shooed Harry and Ron away telling them that he had a headache and that he would listen tomorrow.  After much arguing, they left and Dumbleodre had began looking through his books.

_All those signs, they all fit.  Why though? What is his plan?_

As Dumbledore thought this, he heard a noise coming from the balcony that stood over his desk.  He stood up and looked round.

"Hello Professor." It was Draco.

"Draco, I know what has really happened to you and I know that you and Voldemort are up to something and I will not stand for it!"

"OH! So scared, I'm quivering in fear!" Draco replied sarcastically, his sharp teeth bared in an evil grin.  "I knew that you knew what was going on, I could see it.  I can't let you spread it around and stop us!"

"There is nothing you can do, people will find out about this, they will begin to get suspicious."

"No one was supposed to know yet.  I have already failed my master's orders not to be seen yet, I will not let it go further!" Draco jumped off the balcony and floated to a soft landing in front of Dumbledore.

Dumbldore could see the hollowness of Draco's dark eyes, there was nothing behind them… no life, no soul, just darkness.  He could also see those two sharp teeth that were the trademark of his kind, bared in anger.  Dumbledore was not afraid of him.

"Don't do something you will regret Draco.  You'll just dig yourself in deeper."

"Who says I will regret this? Besides, no one will ever know!" Draco smiled as something like a ball of red electricity formed in the palm of his hand.  "Don't be telling anyone now!" At that, Draco laughed and through the spell at Dumbledore.  

Dumbledore tried to move away but he wasn't quick enough in his old age.  Fawkes screeched loudly as Dumbledore fell back onto his desk before collapsing to the ground.  Fawkes flew over and hit Draco hard in his face with his sharp talons and flew off out of the window.  Draco stared angrily after the phoenix before disappearing in a cloud of mist.


	7. Chapter seven

**Chapter seven**

(Lol! Yes, Loki, ickle Draco is evil now and it is because he is a vampire.  I read 'Salem's Lot and that's what happened to them.  Something about their soul… I liked ur idea! And just to say now, I couldn't decide on an ending so I'm using both… makes the fic longer though! A BETA reader is someone who reads the fic before I put it up to make sure it's OK, in an answer to my Canadian friend's question.)

**In this chapter****:- Harry and Ron work out that Draco is a vampire (Was going to be more but this has ended up longer than I thought, so the other part will be chapter 8, OK? It's another long chappie! I do spoil you lot! LOL!)**

****

Draco stood in front of the chipped, moss covered, mahogany door for a long time.  _Telling him… pro, he won't hurt me as bad and he will help me.  Con, he will probably hit the roof and kill me… dammit! Damn it all!_

Draco found himself walking into the room before he realised what he was doing and be able to stop himself.  The room was nice and hot but the atmosphere was anything but warm and welcoming, there was still that coldness about it.

Draco walked in and looked around the room.  Muggle paintings always freaked him out because they were still and lifeless, with those eyes always staring at you and even though they didn't move, their eyes seemed to follow you as if watching your every move.

Draco was so involved in looking at the paintings, he wasn't looking where he was going and tripped over something lying on the ground.  He sat up and stared, only to see a pair of yellow eyes staring back at him into his.  He had rudely awakened Nagini.  Nagini hissed at him and showed her own long, sharp and venomous fangs, she slithered closer to Draco.  

Draco crawled backwards from her.  "G-Good snake, stay back! er… I-I'm sorry I tripped over you… j-just go back to sleep and don't eat me!"

There was a strange hissing noise and Nagini backed away and returned to her sleep.  Draco looked up and saw Voldemort standing in front of the fire.  The flames lit up his pale face a light, sinister orange/red and made his eyes glitter with more malice than was usual.

Draco jumped up and bowed quickly.  "So very sorry to intrude master but I have some important information." Draco sounded calmer than he was.

"This had better be good news Malfoy!" Voldemort hissed.

Draco froze for a second.  "…er… just before I tell you… hypothetically, say it _was bad news and it was as bad to the extent of the plan close to failing… what would you do to me?"_

Voldemort stared at him for a while before rubbing his forehead with his fingers and growling, "What did you do?"

Draco flinched.  "I dealt with it! No harm done!"

"Not yet anyway!" Voldemort snarled as he drew out his wand.

"Let me explain!" Draco cried hurriedly taking a leap backwards, landing on the end of Nagini's tail. (Do snakes have tails or are they just all one long, living tail?)

Nagini hissed loudly, almost screamed, and swiftly lunged at Draco with her sharp teeth.  She sunk her teeth deep into Draco's lower leg.

Draco cried out, "Bloody snake! Get the hell off, you over-sized flobber worm!" Draco prised Nagini's jaw off his leg.  Draco looked, expecting to see blood like was his normal reaction but he saw nothing.  He looked under his black robes to see and only saw two large puncture holes and the yellow venom oozing back out of them.  Draco glared, "Bitten twice in one week am I cursed? You are so lucky I don't have a bloodstream, you know that?" he added glaring at the snake.  Nagini just glared back and flicked her long, black tongue out at him.

"Start explaining before I decide not to be merciful on your behalf," Voldemort sat down in his armchair, spinning his wand around his long, spider-like fingers.

Draco jumped back up and began, "Well… you see… it's like this… I was talking to Donato a-and Potter saw us.  He had sneaked into the Slytherin common room and he had been listening to what we were saying… he ran away and I chased after him but that damn sunlight stopped me from catching him!"

"And now he knows about you and the plan?"

"No.  But he does know that something's up… and so did Dumbledore."

Voldemort stared blankly.  "Did?"

"I saw to it that Dumbledore will not tell or interfere, it's Potter who I can't get to…"

"That doesn't matter.  You're blunder has actually helped my plan…"

Draco blinked.  "Helped?"

"Think again about this.  Dumbledore out of the way, Potter is the only one who suspects anything… this should make it easier to get him."

"How?" Draco was getting confused.

"Use your head, boy! You know our plan involves getting Potter on his own, so he won't have anyone to help him and you have the trust of one of them!"

It was as if somebody had lit a fire in Draco's head.  The understanding came to him and a plot had already formed in his mind.

"The Mudblood!"

"She must be on your side for this to work out!"

"How can I do that? She would trust Potter's word over mine any day!"

Voldemort laughed.  "My dear boy… you have the gift to make people believe you and make them on your side.  It happened to you! This way, we can be sure that she won't help him and she will also be of a little help to us."

Draco thought and then grinned at his master once he'd figured it out.  

"As you wish master." With that, Draco bowed and disappeared from sight, remembering to 'accidentally' step on Nagini's tail again.  Nagini hissed but couldn't do anything as Draco had already disappeared.

*~*~*~*

 "I don't like this… I really don't like where this is going, Harry!" Ron shook his head continually.

"We can handle this! We can do this without Dumbledore's help, we have done it before!"

"Dumbledore didn't seem like he even wanted to know, he's never done that on us before!"

"Our best plan is to keep an eye on Malfoy's every move.  That way, we can stop him from doing anything that will-"

"What are you two planning now?" Hermione was leaning against the wall with an eyebrow raised.  

Ron jumped up and ran over to her.  "Hermione, are you OK? What's going on? What day is it? What's your favourite colour?" Ron was shaking her by her shoulders.

Hermione looked nothing less than terrified at this.  "I should be asking you if you're OK! What's going on?"

"I'm just going to cut the crap and tell you simply that your little Slytherin friend is nothing but a no-good, evil spy who wants to kill Harry!" Ron shouted.

Hermione stared at him for a minute.  "Right.  OK… What's this got to do with my favourite colour?"

"Malfoy put a spell on you Hermione! A spell to make you forget something because he knows that you know something important that he knows about a plan that he is involved in to kill Harry!"

Even Harry blinked at this, confused.  Hermione didn't look any different.

She opened her mouth to say something but seemed to change her mind and stayed silent before she decided to talk.  "Alright, now I know that you two hate me being with Draco and you have tried to put me off him in several ways, but this time, you've really crossed the line! Trying to kill Harry is he? He just nearly got killed himself a few nights ago! Besides, if he was trying to kill Harry, he would've done it before now.  Look at all the times the two of you were together Harry!" she turned around to look at him.

Harry sighed.  "I found it hard to believe too Hermione, but I went down into the Slytherin Common room to check things out and he was planning something, he's still on Voldemort's side.  The whole near to death thing was just an act to make us think it was Voldemort who ("Stop saying his name!" Ron piped up in the background) attacked him because he wanted us to trust him that he was on our side.  I'm sorry Hermione but… but he's not…"

Hermione's mouth opened and closed several times, obviously lost for words not knowing if to believe them or to think it was some kind of joke.  Guess which thought won?

"I-I… I can't believe this! Draco isn't like that, he's too nice to me! He's changed, I can tell by that look in his eye! He couldn't be, it's…" Hermione was trying to find out which she believed in but she couldn't find a logical answer.  She wanted to believe that all of this was just her friends' plan to stop any relationship between Draco and herself, yet part of her believed them.  She remembered that strange feeling she had that made her think that Draco wasn't telling her something.

"Where have I heard this before?" Ron muttered looking over at Harry grinning.

"Hermione, I know it's a bit of a shock, but you HAVE to believe us on this one! Don't go near him, he could try to get you to believe him and act against us!" Harry continued.

They could see that Hermione was near tears by this.  "I don't know what to do!"

"Just stay away from him… please!" Harry walked towards her and gave her a hug.  "Please, we don't want anything to happen to you or anyone else.  Promise me!"

_Promise me.  Hermione felt as though she had heard those words said in the same pleading tone somewhere else.  Things like these had been haunting her for the whole day.  Visions and 'flash backs' that she knew where familiar but she didn't know where they were from._

Before Hermione could reply, there was an urgent tapping and scratching on a window that made them all jump.  Each of them stared wildly around the room looking for the source of the noise.

"Look!" Ron exclaimed pointing to the window was positioned beside the long desk.  Harry and Hermione looked to where he was pointing and stared.  "Hey, ain't that Fawkes?"

"It is… why is he out there, it's raining!" Hermione ran over and opened the window.

Fawkes chirped his thanks and ruffled his feathers up to shake off the rain water.  Harry knelt down and began to stoke Fawkes' smooth, feathered head and neck.  Fawkes seemed to purr like a cat at the attention he was getting as Ron and Hermione joined in, stroking his tail and wings.

"What are you doing the whole way down here, eh?" Hermione cooed.

At that, Fawkes started squawking and flapping his wings.  

"Shhhhh! Fawkes, you'll wake up the whole house!" Harry leapt forwards and grasped Fawkes' beak firmly.

"Oh Fawkes, I wish you could talk!" Hermione sighed.

"Wonder what's wrong, he's never done this before.  Perhaps Dumbledore send him, maybe he wants to speak to us!" Ron looked up at Harry.

"Maybe!" Harry stood up excitedly.  "Come on, we'll take the invisibility cloak!"

"You coming Hermione? It might give you some answers to this whole Malfoy the secret spy thing!" Ron smiled getting up too.

Hermione nodded reluctantly and followed, Fawkes took flight and led the way.

*~*~*~*

When they had reached the entrance to Dumbledore's office, they saw al crowd of teachers in their dressing gowns and slippers standing and the foot of the stairs.  Harry, Ron and Hermione looked at each other in a confused way.  All of the teachers were chatting in panicked voices but none of them seemed to know what was going on.

Finally, they heard Professor Lupin's voice (A/N:- I like him and wanted him back ok!) calling from the top of the stairs as he descended down them to rejoin the teachers.  "Somebody run and get Madam Pomfrey, quickly!"

Professor Sinistra turned on her heel and ran as quickly as she could towards the hospital wing.  There was a wave of even more panicked stricken voices.  Harry, Ron and Hermione were beginning to get worried too.

"Stop the stalling Lupin! What's going on?" Snape roared.

Lupin replied calmly.  "I don't mean to alarm anyone… but it seems to me that Professor Dumbledore has been attacked!"

Harry had to fight against yelling out loud, Ron and Hermione seemed to have the same problem.  Hermione's face had gone the colour of chalk.

"Attacked?"

"By what?"

"Is he OK?"

"_Attacked?!"_

Lupin waited until the muttering stopped before he carried on.  "I took this up with me," he held up an object that looked to Harry like a small lava lamp, "It told me that dark magic had been used."

More muttering and then a familiar soft voice could be heard above all the others.

"Ah yes! I foresaw this happening this morning during my own quiet time at breakfast." Professor Trelawney told the rest of the teachers.

"Well, if you foresaw it then maybe you could tell us who did it!" Professor McGonagal snapped bitterly.

Professor Trelawney replied in her dreamy voice, "Ah, but I can't reveal anything like that! It is not to be known yet, the fates have warned me not to tell!"

Professor McGonagal looked as if she was going to strangle Professor Trelawney but Professor Sinistra came running up with Madam Pomfrey close behind.

"Oh dear lord… this can't be happening… the headmaster…" she muttered to herself as she walked past the three of them.

She ran up the stairs and some teachers followed, others weren't sure if they wanted to see.

Harry nudged Ron and gestured that they left to discuss this is the common room.

*~*~*~*

"Now what do we do?" Ron shouted.  "The one time we need him, he gets attacked!"

"A bit suspicious really.  All these events, they're bound to be connected! Dumbledore was our only means of protection and now he's gone, this could be the start of Malfoy's little plan!" Harry sat down beside the fire, which was now burning itself out.

"I'm going to bed!" Hermione said quickly as she ran up to the girls' dormitories.

"She must be shocked at this… I feel the same way… I'm starting to get a little scared actually…" Ron admitted.

"Don't worry, tomorrow morning at breakfast, we'll get it out of Malfoy what's going on and find a way to stop it!" Harry thumped the arm of his chair with his fist.

"Not again! Isn't fighting the forces of evil once enough for one year?"

*~*~*~*

The next morning was one that all the students would never forget.  They were all told by Professor McGonagal that Dumbledore had been attacked.  Many students shrieked in panic and fear, others were just plain speechless but the Slytherins were grinning and giving each other looks of satisfaction, this made anger boil up inside Harry.  He had to clench his fists and bite his bottom lip to control himself.  He couldn't wait to let out his anger on Malfoy, even if it resulted in detentions for the rest of his school life.  Lessons had been cancelled that day due to distressed teachers and terrified students.  Harry and Ron couldn't see Draco at the breakfast table.

"Bet he knows that we know and he's too cowardly to show himself!" Ron said as they left the Great Hall.

"I say we go and drag that ferret out of his hole!" Harry turned off and went down into dungeons.  Ron soon followed.

*~*~*~*

"Why did you do it? Are you bloody mad? Now everyone will know that there's something up!"

"The master seemed pleased enough so just you keep out of it!"

"I don't see why he wanted to use you when there are more experienced and intelligent in the group! You're just gonna mess it all up Malfoy!"

"You're just jealous because I'm getting all the good tasks and praise while you are stuck 'keeping guard in the forest for anything suspicious'!"

Harry and Ron tip-toed down the corridor when they heard the two voices.  Harry recognised them as Draco and that boy who was with him last night.  

"Why don't you just go back down the dark hole you came from Donato, I have everything under control here, I do not need you to tell me what to do!" Draco yelled.

Harry poked his head around the corner in time to see the boy called Donato lift Draco up off the floor by his collar and hiss, "The master will soon see through you, he will find out and destroy you quicker than you can blink!" with that threat, he disappeared making Draco fall back to the floor.

"Now!" Harry whispered to Ron.

Draco had barely stood back up when he was suddenly thrown back face down.  

"What the hell… who...?" Draco struggled.

"Spill it Malfoy! What are you up to?" Harry spat as he sat on Draco's back and twisted his right arm up behind him.

Draco's face screwed up in pain but he refused to give Harry the satisfaction of yelling.

"If I am up to something…what makes you think that I'll tell you?"

"You will tell us or I will break every fucking bone in your body!" Harry hissed as he jerked Draco's arm up further, this time Draco let out a small yelp of pain.

Ron knelt down beside Draco and put his wand to Draco's head.  "And if you still won't tell… we'll just have to use other measures, won't we Harry?"

Draco smirked and said in a low, hissing voice, "Don't mess with things you don't understand.  You will just get hurt!"

Harry was about to reply when something caught his eye.  On the palm of Draco's right hand a bright blue ball of what looked like ice with lightning shooting around inside was quickly forming.  Harry stared at it unbelieving.  It came to Harry what was going to happen a split second before it did.

The ball of ice flew up and hit Harry in the face and then he was thrown backwards into the wall.  Draco took his chance and jumped up to run away, but Ron was too quick for him.

Ron hadn't managed to stand up in time to catch Draco so instead he grabbed Draco's foot, making him fall back down.

"Don't even try it Malfoy!" he grinned.  "It's time to start the aggressive interrogations!"

Harry could hear bone grinding punches being thrown and a lot of swearing and threatening.  He couldn't see because of his position and he couldn't move, the spell had frozen him too.  He didn't even have an idea who was getting hit or who was winning.

"OUCH! Little help here would be useful Harry!" Ron yelled.

"I have problems of my own right now Ron!" Harry yelled back.  "I'm stuck!"

"Hey! Where do you think you're going?" Harry heard Ron shout and then the sound of hurried footsteps… silence.

Harry lay staring at the ceiling in the silence.  "I'll just wait here shall I?" 

*~*~*~*

Draco had lost his concentration from trying to get away and now he was lost, not knowing where he was going or coming from.  He was just turning corners and running through doors at random now.  _This is all going wrong… very wrong! _

Draco ran through another door, slamming it behind him in Ron's face, and carried on running up a flight of stairs for a few seconds before realization dawned on him.  He looked up the stairs and saw the arch leading from the dungeons up to the Entrance Hall.  Mid-afternoon sun-light was sending long, golden bars of light through the arch and up against the wall.  Draco was safe on the dark, shadowed staircase at the moment but he heard the dungeon door open up behind him.

_Oooo! You're truly fucked now aren't ya mate? A voice rose up in Draco's head.  Draco chose to ignore it and then- __Wait a minute! I'm a vampire… I can disapperate in the Hogwarts gr-_

Before he had even finished his thought, Ron had thrown a curse at him which had lifted Draco off the ground and sent him spinning up the stairs.  Draco landed hard on the stone landing, but it wasn't the harsh landing that was hurting him.

The sun-light blinded Draco, it had been a while since he had been near strong sun-light.  A burning pain spread over his body, worse than he had ever imagined it to be, worse even than the Cruciatus (?) curse.  He couldn't move with the pain, he couldn't cover himself with his cloak or crawl away to save himself.  He didn't even have the strength to disapperate.

Ron ran up the stairs, lifted Draco up by the back of his cloak and forced him against the wall, holding on to Draco by one shoulder.  Ron was holding his wand in the other hand and it was pointed straight at Draco.  Most of Draco's body was now shielded from the light, but his face was still exposed to it.

"Nice try Malfoy.  Now, are we going to do this the easy way and you tell us your plan like a good little ferret or are we going to have to do it the painful way?"

_Oh believe me, it couldn't be as painful as this! Draco could feel the skin on his face begin to crack.  He had to get away now, back into the darkness, away from the fatal light.  Draco had to think quickly but no matter what he came up with, he had to give himself away._

Ron was looking at Draco strangely.  Was it just the trick of the light or were there deep, red cracks appearing over Draco's face and hands? Ron blinked and he was so distracted, what happened next happened quickly and came as a shock.

Draco had bared his fangs in attack and swiftly ducked his head and struck Ron in the hand that was holding him to the wall.  Ron yelled in pain, surprise and disgust as he pulled his hand away, letting Draco fall sideways and down the stairs back to the safety of the darkness.

Although the fall hurt a lot, he felt stronger being away from the sun-light and managed to stagger back to his feet and disappear in a wisp of fine mist.

Ron was still standing on the landing in shock.  He stared down at his hand, blood covered most of it and the blood wasn't dripping out but streaming.  It must've been very deep to do that.  But Ron had another worry on his hands, had he seen right or was it just another trick of the light? Had he seen two of Draco's front teeth grow into fangs? Ron was getting scared now, the cracks on Draco's face when he was in the light… those teeth… Ron swallowed hard at the thought of it but decided not to jump to conclusions just yet… he needed to see Professor Lupin first.

*~*~*~* (A/N:- I had to re-write that scene SO many times it's unbelievable!)

"What the hell happened to you?" Harry asked once he saw Ron's hand.  Ron had just about remembered to unfreeze Harry.

"I'll explain as soon as we fang- I mean- FIND Professor Lupin…" Ron stammered in a hurried way that reminded Harry greatly of Professor Quirrel.

"Are you OK?" Harry asked in concern.

"I'm fine… everything's great… just need to talk to Professor Lupin about something…"

Harry knew better than to believe Ron but he also didn't ask any questions.  "OK, let's go.  He'd probably be up in his office trying to work out what attacked Professor Dumbledore with that lava lamp thing."

Ron looked at Harry, "Lava lamp?"

"Doesn't matter…" Harry sighed and ran out into the Entrance Hall.

*~*~*~*

Lupin paced up and down his office yet again, holding the spell detector in one hand and his wand in the other.  When Ron and Harry peered around the doorway he was taking a huge skitso on it.

"I know it was dark magic, OK! What spell was it you stupid piece of sh- oh, hello there Harry… Ron… how can I help you?"

Harry and Ron stared at each other and then back at Lupin.

"Ah, yes, ahem, sorry about that boys… this situation is putting pressure on us all and it's starting to get to me now!" Lupin pushed his greying hair out of his eyes and sat down, gesturing for Harry and Ron to do the same.

"It's OK professor, we understand." Harry reassured.  "Ron needs to ask you something."

Lupin looked surprised but said, "Go ahead," anyway.

Ron took a deep breath.  "Do you know how you can tell if someone is a vampire or not?"

"Of course! And so should you, I taught you all about them in third year! Why?"

Ron lifted his blooded hand, which was now covered with Ron's tie, and asked, "Could you tell me if this is a vampire bite or not?"

Lupin looked at Ron strangely, so did Harry, but he took Ron's hand anyway and undid the tie.

Lupin's eyes widened when he saw the two deep teeth marks in Ron's hand and the blood surrounding it.

"How did this happen?" Lupin asked in a fearful voice.

"I-I was chasing after Malfoy and-"

"Malfoy? Draco Malfoy?" Lupin interrupted.

"Yes, anyway, I chased him up to the Entrance Hall and- Professor?"

Lupin wasn't listening to what Ron was saying.  He had that distant, thoughtful look about him and he was running his fingers through his hair over and over.

"Professor? What's wrong?" Harry repeated.

"Of course… it all fits…" Lupin spoke in a low whisper.

Harry and Ron looked at each other with one eyebrow raised.

Lupin stood up and walked over to the window, peering out over the lake and forbidden forest.  

"Excuse me sir… but what all fits?" Harry asked and broke the silence.

"People thinking he was dead… he wasn't breathing and didn't have a pulse yet he was alive… the scar on his neck… Ron, was it still there?"

Ron hadn't thought about it but now that he did…

"No… gone."

Lupin was silent for a moment more before saying, "And, it was him who did that to you?"

"Yes."

"Then yes, it is a vampire bite.  Draco Malfoy is a vampire."

**(Dun Dun DUN! A round of applauds please, they have finally figured it out! That took forever to write, deadly uncomfortable! Anyway, what do you guys think? Review please! As I said, it would've had more in it but it's all going into the next chapter.  They now have to convince Hermione that Draco is a vampire and she gets herself into a spot of bother involving Draco.  Hope you all had a nice Christmas and a happy new year to you all!!!!)**


	8. Chapter eight

**Chapter eight**

****

(Sorry if I did offend you by saying 'you Americans' but I really didn't mean it like that! It's just that last time I wrote a fic, and American girl criticized me on my spelling and grammar because it's different so I thought I'd warn you that I was from the UK and it will be different, do you think it is? Loki… I am SOOO flattered about what you said about me! I couldn't stop smiling! Thank you so much! I would recommend 'Salem's Lot if you like vampire stories, it's like a modern Dracula.  If I do use your idea, the fic will be longer and I don't mind, hopefully you lot don't, I've already got it all worked out.  Thanx for it! :D.  This is a suspense chappie so not much action or entertainment… unless you count the card tower thing… **BEWARE THE ATTEMPTED ROMANCE! I HATE IT!)**

****

Hermione sat staring at her two friends, who were standing in front of her, with her arms folded and one eyebrow raised.  "So, let me get this straight… you guys drag me out of the library and up here to tell me that Draco is a vampire? Now, I want the two of you to think about this sentence and tell me what's wrong with it!"

"It sounds very… strange doesn't it?" Harry nodded.

"Total understatement!" Hermione laughed.

"Take it you don't believe us then?" Ron asked.

"Look.  How would you two react if I just came bursting in telling you that… that… Seamus was a werewolf… would you two believe me? I don't think so!" Hermione snapped.  "First of all, you tell me that Draco was up to something and something evil.  You two must've realised that I didn't really take heed of that and now you are trying to feed me some bullshit story that he is a vampire? The two of you just don't like us being together and you are trying to put me off him, well, now I don't believe anything you say about him… I know what you are up to.  You two are getting worse at this planning and scheming you know that?" She raised her voice slightly.

Harry and Ron were struck dumb by this and couldn't find anything to say.  Both stood staring at Hermione with mouths open.

"You don't believe us? We are your best friends and you don't trust us?" Ron finally snapped.

"Listen to yourselves! How can you expect me to believe a story like that?"

Ron unwrapped the cloth that was tied tight on his hand to reveal two deep teeth marks.

"Look, he bit me! The bastard bit me on the hand because I held him in the sun light!"

Hermione looked at it and a look of disgust came over her face.  "Ouch, that must've hurt!" then she came back to the discussion.  "Well, let's say it is a vampire bite… how come you haven't become one?"

"Professor Lupin told us that it is rare that the victim becomes a vampire when bitten, they only do when the vampire wants them to.  They usually only use their teeth to feed and to attack… surely you know that Miss Know-it-all, you spend long enough in the library reading books!" Ron half shouted.

Hermione took that as the worse insult imaginable.  "Why would I need to know that anyway? There are no vampires in Britain, they live in Romania!"

"Well, there are vampires in Britain now!"

Harry was standing against the wall, cringing with each remark in case it set off an alarm in one of them and they end up hitting each other… again.  He decided it best to keep quiet, but that was impossible.

"Tell her Harry! She'll believe you!" Ron shouted.

Harry made an involuntary squeaking noise as Ron and Hermione both turned and stared at him with equally angry looks on their faces.  _If I agree with Ron, Hermione will think I'm just taking sides with him and she will yell at me… If I don't agree with Ron then he will yell at me… HELP!_

"…er…" Harry broke the silence and the tension.  _I've got to tell her the truth, if I don't, she'll get hurt… or worse… "I'm sorry Hermione but it's true…" he said awkwardly._

Her reaction was right on target.  "I knew it! I knew you would side with him! You two are in this together and trying to get me to stay away from Draco!"

"It's nothing like that! You have to believe us or you will get hurt!"  Harry tried to reason, and then he remembered something that could make Hermione believe them.  "Hermione, do you remember when you chased Malfoy down in the dungeons and you told me that you felt that there was something strange about him? Well, I felt it too.  I felt like there was something of pure evil around there… You don't remember do you?" he added seeing her face.

Hermione was looking as if Harry had gone mad.  "N-o.  When did-"

"Ah ha, I knew it! It was him who erased Hermione's memory and that's the reason why! He knew that Hermione had an idea what happened and he couldn't take it!" Ron suddenly jumped. "I was right, I was right!"

Harry smiled as he caught on and remembered what Draco had said when he went spying on him.  _I reckoned that that mudblood Granger suspected something, but I dealt with her.  Doesn't remember a thing! "Yes, of course! See Hermione, makes perfect sense! Malfoy is a vampire because Voldemort wanted him to be one and now he can be part of Voldemort's plan… to kill me… great… now I have vampires to add to my list of supernatural enemies."_

"That's what happened to him that night!" Ron added.

Hermione was looking very scared now.  "Erased my memory… because he thought that I knew something?" Hermione knew that that would explain a few things, but the other part of her brain was stubborn and wouldn't give in that easily.

"I have to go think about this… it's all so… so strange and too weird to be true.  Surely if he was then Dumbledore would've known!"

Harry and Ron looked at each other and their eyes lit up.  "Malfoy attacked Dumbledore!" they said in unison.  They both grinned hardly able to believe their genius.

Hermione turned to walk out.

"Oh no! Where do you think you're going?" Ron called as he jumped up and grabbed her wrist.

"Back to the library… to think…" she replied.

"Not now you're not! You're staying up here… the vamp free area!" 

"Oh for goodness sake!" she snapped as she pulled away and walked out of the common room.

"I think that went pretty well, don't you?" Ron sighed.

"Better than I thought, I thought she was ready to slap you one!" Harry admitted.

*~*~*~*

Hermione finally emerged from the library at curfew but decided to help the other prefects by patrolling the corridors, any excuse to stay out of Harry and Ron's way for a while longer while she thought.  She had been thinking about what Harry and Ron had told her.  It was utter ludicrous, yet some part believed them.  She decided that there was only one way to find out the answer… see Draco for herself.  She had looked up books on vampires and she now reckons that she would be able to tell if he was or not by just looking at him.  She got her chance.

Hermione had that feeling again, the feeling that Harry was telling her about and it felt so familiar.  That feeling that she was being watched by something of pure evil.  She was alone in the Entrance Hall, standing in silence, no one else was there.  When she heard the slightest noise, she spun round in alarm but only to find that she was still alone, yet that feeling still haunted her.  She was getting more afraid as each second ticked by and more jumpy.  

Suddenly, she heard whispering and echoing voices in her head, and again they were all so familiar.

_"Help me!"_

_"Trapped!"_

_"Lost!"_

_"No way out!"_

_"Eternity!"_

_"Don't look in its eyes!"_

_"Don't trust it!"_

_"**RUN!"******_

The last word was louder and seemed to be echoing around her rather than in her head.  She was so shocked at this she screamed and stumbled trying to run away.  A pair of ice cold hands grabbed her to stop her from hitting the ground.

"Are you OK? Stupid question, of course your not… What's wrong with you?"

The voices had stopped abruptly when she fell and the person began to ask if she OK.  Hermione, feeling dazed, looked up.  She gasped and staggered up at seeing Draco standing in front of her, his face full of surprise and confusion but his eyes said different.

Hermione had never looked properly at Draco lately until now, last time she had been so caught up in seeing him alive that she didn't notice how different he looked now.  His eyes were no longer their brilliant, shining silver that Hermione had always loved, they were now a grey colour scarily close to black rimmed with blood red, something about them told her that he was not to be trusted.  His hair was now white as freshly fallen snow and messy like it hadn't seen a brush in days and his face was much paler than usual and his features were sharper, he looked barely alive… yet he was smiling at her, a sparkling smile of white teeth, sharp white teeth.  Hermione swallowed when she realised how dry her throat had gone by seeing him.  _No… please no!_

"You're acting a little odd.  What's going on?" Draco laughed slightly.  His voice hadn't changed, it was still the same as it always was.  The book had said that his voice would be like ice and a hiss.

"I should be asking you the same thing!" Hermione said when she managed to get her voice back.

Draco raised an eyebrow.  "Say what?"

"You know what!"

Draco looked down at the ground and shook his head before looking back up at her, he laughed shortly.  "You've been talking to Super Potter and his Weasel boy side-kick haven't you?"

Hermione remained silent, she was still staring at Draco trying to figure him out.  It wasn't easy but what she had already seen made her hold her breath.

"Come with me.  I can tell you while we go for a nice walk around the lake." he took her hand in his cold one.

Hermione pulled her hand out of his and backed off a few steps, a look of anger crossed her face.  _Don't even try it!_

"Hey, what's the matter with you?" Draco took a couple of steps towards her again, Hermione just backed off more and glared at him, eye to eye so he would get the message, she didn't trust him.

Draco's smile flickered as he stared back at her.  Hermione could feel a sudden rush of cold surge through her as he stared at her with his hollow, evil eyes.

_"NO! Don't look! Look away! RUN!" the voice called again, more urgently than before.  Too late._

Hermione continued to stare into his eyes, it was as if they were great, black oceans and she was drowning in them, unable to free herself from the current's grip.  A feeling of calm and relaxation washed over her like the tide.  Although she felt like this, some part of her was triggering the alarm meaning danger.  She panicked but the calm overpowered it and the panic was no more.

"Let's start that again shall we? Come with me, Hermione," he repeated as he held out his pale hand.  Hermione unknowingly, and against her will, took it.  "Good girl," Draco grinned as he began to lead her off.

*~*~*~*

"Do you think we should tell Lupin?" Harry asked while adding another pair of cards to his fourth tower.

"'bout what?" Ron replied with a question as he sat upside-down on the armchair.

"About it being Malfoy who attacked Dumbledore.  Maybe it will help him find a way to bring Dumbledore round again so he can stop this plan going any further."

"He probably already knows…"

"If he does he doesn't seem to be doing much about it! There's a vampire on the loose in these grounds and nobody is dealing with him!"

"Would you?"

"Well… no, I've never really dealt with vampires before, couldn't be too hard though.  Show them two pieces of wood stuck together and shove another piece of wood into their chest! They're pathetic really…"

"Yeah, just watch out for the teeth… that's one advantage they've got." Ron replied poking his still painful, yet blood free, hand.

"I swear, if one comes anywhere near me, it'll be like a scene out of Buffy the vampire slayer!"

"Harry… please do not give me visions of you in a skirt or tight jeans with high heels fighting vampires… that's just scary, not to mention sick! You'd scare Malfoy off before y- OUCH!"

Harry threw a book at Ron.  "You deserve it!" Harry placed the last two cards on the top of his last tower.  "Look! It's a box of card towers!" 

"It won't be standing for long!" Ron jumped off the armchair and ran towards the towers.

"Don't you dare! I spend ages on those!" Harry caught Ron's arm before he knocked them over.

Ron began to blow hard in the direction of Harry's tower box.  The top two on the first tower began to wobble and soon one of the cards fell.  Harry watched, but the rest stood as proud as ever.

"HA!" Harry gloated.

As soon as he had said that, there was a loud exploding noise from behind him.  Harry slowly turned round to see the cards scattered over the desk and floor and where they had stood was a charred patch of wooden desk.  He had used the 'Exploding Snap' packs.

Ron grinned down at Harry.  "Don't say it!" Harry said before Ron said anything.

(A/N: There was absolutely no point to this scene what-so-ever but I decided to put in a little humour to lighten it up a little before the suspense part… it helps me.  It was going to be the TwoTowers from LOTR but I thought that that would sound wrong because of the whole Sept. 11th thing… so I changed it.)

*~*~*~*

It felt cold outside, but it wasn't the air.  No matter how long she held his hand, it seemed to get no warmer but spread the cold through her body instead.  Finally he stopped leading her when they were in the dark shadow of the forbidden forest's edge.  He didn't let go of her, he kept a strong grip on her hand and pulled her towards him.

"Feeling better? You were so uptight earlier," he whispered softly into her ear as he ran his fingers through her hair.

Hermione smiled to herself.  She was calmer, why was she so scared in the first place? It all seemed so stupid right now, she was happy where she was now, it's the way she had always wanted it to be... Draco and herself alone together.  Something was telling her that this wasn't right, but she wouldn't let that take her happiness away from her… not now.

"Can't think why I was, but I'm fine now… sorry I was so twitchy earlier," she whispered back, putting her arms around his neck.

_"No! Ge-… -way fr-… it!" the voice called to her from the back of her mind.  It faded and came back like a bad signal on a radio as Draco's powers of keeping Hermione calm and unaware were more powerful.  What was that voice? Her conscience? No, the voice sounded strangely familiar to Hermione, but she didn't think about that… she had lost the ability to think her own thoughts._

Draco smiled, "It's OK, as long as you are feeling fine.  You know how beautiful you look in the moon-light?"

Hermione smiled and looked down to hide, her face was turning red.  She didn't know how to respond to that, nobody had ever said something like that to her before… Krum wasn't exactly the romantic type.  She wasn't thinking about what she could say back to him but she didn't have to.  He did something that made her speechless and surprised.

"Hermione…" he whispered.  Hermione looked up at him and as soon as she did, he kissed her.

This is what Hermione had been waiting for, she had always been too scared to approach him, not knowing if he felt the same but if this kiss was like words… he was keen alright!  

Then it was like a dark cloud had covered her mind and prevented it from knowing what was happening or from doing anything about it as soon as his lips touched hers.  His kiss was cold, like his very lips were made of ice yet it burned her lips like acid.  She kissed him back just as fiery as he was to her as she ran her fingers through his soft hair.  All that mattered to her now was that this would never end.

Draco had other plans of course.  He began stroking her neck and she smiled through the kiss at it before Draco broke free of their fiery kiss and left a pattern of kisses down the side of her face, right down to kiss the side of her neck…

(Ah! No better way to end my first update of the new year than a good old cliff-hanger! Soz it's late but ff.net locked me out for a while! *glares* Next chapter will involve two fights (both involving Draco) and a lot of vampires as you meet the rest of the little bloodsuckers, oh and of course, will Hermione be rescued or will Draco get his way? I'm planning on writing another fic cos just writing one is a bit naff so I need ur help to come up with a plot please help! I can write Harry Potter, LOTR (I  have limited knowledge!) or buffy. Ur names will be down as my helpers! E-mail me them if you can, if not put it in ur reviews…PLEASE DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW! Thankies! Buh byes! ; ])


	9. Chapter nine

Chapter Nine

(Ha! I did it! I wrote a new chapter! HAHAHAHA! SOD YOU HOMEWORK!!!! *ahem* Sorry about that… This chapter may not be as well written but it's something right? Ah well, hope you all like it! As I said, this is a descriptive chappie and I don't really like it, I got very uncomfortable writing some of it… as I always seem to...! *smiles* Will the damsel in distress escape? Read on…)

Draco instantly opened his eyes as he felt a sharp pain shoot across his head. _ What was that? He thought with annoyance but he didn't linger on the thought for long, he had a job to do.  His fingers stroked her neck, only to meet something cold and metallic that burnt them like it was the hottest object in the world._

Draco quickly withdrew his hand with a slight yelp of pain but his fingers had got caught around the object… a chain of a necklace.  The necklace pendant was revealed as Draco untangled his fingers from the burning chain .

His head began to throb slightly and he felt weak suddenly.  His eyes then caught a glint of silver reflecting the moon so he couldn't help looking down at it.  Draco's dark eyes widened as the pain and weakness increased dramatically.  It was the heart and cross locket that he had given her.

Realisation, pain and anger filed him as he hissed and jumped back, his hands in front of him in a pointless defence.  As he jumped, the weakness over-powered him and his legs gave way.

Even though he was lying on the ground with his hands over his throbbing head, he could still see its unnatural shine.  It was as if the damned thing was imprinted on his eyelids.  He could still feel the pain and the strength was leaving him.

It was as if someone had thrown a bucket of ice-cold water over her while she was still asleep.  Hermione snapped back out of the trance with a gasp and stared around her like an animal who knew it was being hunted.

_Where am I? What's happening? How did I get- she stopped in mid-thought as her eyes fell on the familiar figure shaking on the ground._

Hermione knew she should've run at that moment, every impulse and sense was ordering her to do so but curiosity got the better of her.  She approached with caution, "D-Draco?" she asked shakily as she knelt down beside and gave his shoulder a shake.  She could feel the cold through his clothes.  What happened next happened far too quickly for Hermione to register in time and do anything about it.

Draco swiftly turned over on the ground and snatched the necklace off her neck.  Hermione screamed and jumped back from him in total surprise and shock just as Draco swore loudly at the necklace that was burning his hand.  He threw it away and rubbed his hand with his head down.

For a moment longer Hermione sat in shock as she rubbed the back of her neck, it was painful where Draco had broken it off.  She stared at the boy sitting just several feet away from her, cradling his hand and his face shadowed.  That moment was a moment too long.

Draco was no longer weak and in pain, he sat up and glared at Hermione with dull eyes rimmed with blood red and bared his sharp teeth in anger and irritation.  Hermione stared and crawled further backwards, too terrified to scream.

"No more games…" Draco hissed at her.  His voice was like ice-cold water being splashed over hot metal.  This time, she did scream.  She screamed as loud as her lungs and voice could handle and she staggered up to her feet, beginning to run back to the safety of the castle.

Draco was quick to follow; he wasn't going to let her get away from him.  He wasn't going to let this plan fail.  He caught up with her easily, putting his arm around her neck, he managed to pull her to the ground and pin her down.

Hermione screamed loudly again as she thrashed out at him, "GET OFF ME! GET OFF! SOMEONE, PLEASE HELLLLP!!!"

Draco knelt over the top of her and pinned her arms down with one of his hands, with his other hand he put a finger to her mouth to silence her.  "Hey… none of that, eh? Calm down," he whispered.

Hagrid was sitting comfortably in his armchair with his usual cup of teas before bed.  He was about to finish it off when he heard a loud scream.  He automatically jumped up and listened again.  As soon as he heard the second, more urgent, scream followed by a cry for help, he grabbed his cross-bow and called for Fang before rushing out of the door.

"I should've listened to Harry and Ron! I can't believe it… I trusted your word you… you evil, lying, sneaky bastard!" Hermione screamed in his face as she writhed around trying to get free, it was impossible.  His grip was too strong.  She kept her eyes away from his; she was not prepared to let things repeat themselves.  Hermione was near to tears.

Draco remained calm, "But I'm doing you a favour.  I thought you wanted this.  The two of us, together… for all eternity…" he whispered in a taunting voice.

A tear escaped down Hermione's cheek, "Draco… please… don't…" she pleaded, breathing heavily.

Draco soothed in her ear, "It will be OK," he wiped the tear away, "would I do anything to hurt you?"

Hermione didn't reply.  She wanted to scream but she had no energy left and she knew it wouldn't be any use anyway.

Just as she felt Draco drawing closer to her, she heard a howl growing closer towards them, then a yell and a great weight being shoved off her.  She blinked and sat up, looking wildly around her in all directions until she saw what she was looking for.

Hermione smiled and sighed with relief when she saw Fang snarling at Draco and dragging him down to the ground every time he tried to escape.  Then came the voice of Hagrid.

"What's goin' on 'ere? Hermione… that you?"

"Hagrid!" she breathed and ran to him, arms outstretched, "Thank you! Thank you so much!"

"Are yeh okay? What happened?" he asked in concern.

Meanwhile, Draco was pelting it to the forest with Fang fast on his heels.

"Get away you lousy mutt! Don't you have some toys to slobber over or something? Get away or I'll get a slipper onto you! GO!" Draco yelled at it.

Hagrid and Hermione looked up as Draco jumped up into a tree as if gravity wasn't an issue for him and he began taunting Fang, who was snarling and growling at the bottom of it.  "HA!" Draco taunted.  He then turned his attention to Hermione.  "Don't think for a second that you're safe now, Granger! Sleep with one eye open!" with that, he disappeared into thin air with a very bemused looking Fang yelping.

Hermione, still hugging Hagrid, burst into tears.  Hagrid was looking slightly confused.

"Was that Malfoy?" he asked.

Hermione sniffed, "Yes… well, not entirely, no… I mean… Oh, Hagrid, I don't know what to think!"

Hagrid hugged the girl close as they walked back to the castle, "Come on, tell me what happened."

"I can't… please, just take me back to the common room."

*~*~*~*~*~*

"Don't you dare touch it!" Harry breathed threateningly.

Ron sat and stared at Harry's rebuilt card tower with a grin.  "Need I remind you that I don't have to touch it to make it collapse?"

"Don't do anything to it!"

"It's just a bloody card tower! Now I know what my replacement is.  If I was being threatened by and evil dark lord and so was the tower… you'd save the tower!"

"You know that's not true!" Harry smiled.  "Look at it! My greatest achievement!"

At that point, the portrait hole opened and Hagrid came in with Hermione.  Hermione burst into tears again and ran over to Harry, throwing her arms around him, "I'm so sorry Harry! I'm so, so, so sorry! I should've believed you! It was horrible! Oh Harry!"

Harry was struggling to breathe under her grip, "Hermione…" he squeaked, "Grip… loosen… please!"

"Sorry!" she stepped back.

"What's wrong with you?" Ron and Harry asked in unison, both looking concerned.

Hermione sighed and sat down on the sofa, knees up to her chin and her arms around them.

"Hagrid, what's wrong with her?" Harry asked as Ron walked over and put his arms around his shaking friend.

Hagrid shrugged, "She wouldn't tell me what happened but I found her outside with… this makes no sense to me, but she was with Malfoy.  Does that… Harry?" Hagrid stopped when he saw the look on Harry's face.

Harry turned to Ron, who was staring back with the same look etched on his face.

"Hermione… are you okay?" Ron asked urgently.

"Does it look as if I'm okay?" Hermione snapped.

"Did he hurt you, I mean?" 

"No… no, he… I…" she stammered but didn't say any more.

"Don't pressurise her, she'll tell yeh in her own time.  Night guys," Hagrid said as he left.  "And keep an eye on her."

Harry joined in the hug, "Please, tell us what happened.  What did he do to you? I swear if he hurt you, I'll kill him for good!"

Hermione was shaking, "It was scary… I should've listened to you two…"

She then began to tell them the whole thing.

*~*~*~*~*

"Dwaco's back!" the youngest called.

The rest of the group looked up as Draco entered the lair.  This was the place the rest of the vampires stayed while Draco stayed in the castle.  They were all out here to keep an eye on things and lying in wait for an attack.

Raven ran over and put her arms around him.  "So… everything go okay?" she asked with a smile.

"Great!" Draco smiled and replied in a slightly high voice.  He knew he was totally screwed now he let Hermione get away, he wasn't prepared to let the rest know, especially Donato.

He looked around him, anything to avoid the look that Raven was giving him.  He saw the rest of the group lying around, very bored.  The oldest looked about in his thirties, he could've been anything from thirty to over a thousand, while the youngest was a small, blonde girl with huge eyes.  Draco got along with most of them, the oldest was the ring leader and was friendly to Draco, most likely on Voldemort's orders, while the youngest seemed to follow him everywhere.  Her name was Sylvia, she looked about four or five, although looks can be deceiving in the age of a vampire, and she seemed to see Draco as some sort of role model.  She loved him! Then there was Donato.  He was sitting in a corner talking to Dario, another one about his age.  He didn't get along with either, if his mishap reached their ears, he may as well go out sun bathing.

"DRACO!?" Raven yelled.

Draco jumped, "What?"

"You're hiding something! What's up?"

Draco stared around, Donato had looked up when he heard Raven.  Draco grabbed her wrist and pulled her into the underground chamber, where they slept during the day.  

"Listen… I'm going to tell you because I trust you, okay?" he said to her.

"What… did… you… do?" she asked slowly.

"I… I… Ilethergetaway…" he said quickly.

Raven raised an eyebrow, "Say what?"

"I let her get away…" he winced.

Raven remained silent for a moment, then a grin spread across her face that was only just noticeable in the faint light of the torches.  "Ooooh! Ickle Draco's in big trouble now!"  she whispered.

"I know, I know!" Draco moaned.  "That's why I need you to keep quiet about it!"

"He will find out some time you know!"

"Not if I get her next time!"

"The plan is ruined now Draco, face it! The master will have to go ahead with this plan and it will not work now!"

"No it's not! The plan was only to get Harry away from his friends so they can't help him… I can fix this, but I need you to keep quiet about it till I do!"

"Okay, I'll keep quiet…" she replied rather reluctantly.

"Thank you!" Draco whispered giving her a kiss.

Outside, Donato and Dario were listening and grinning broadly at this news.

"Oh, this is good!" Dario whispered.

"This will be fun! Come on, I bet you ten Galleons he explodes!" Donato grins as they both disappear.

( There, a nice short chappie to get me started again! Sorry about all of this but I just couldn't stay away from fic writing forever! I'm on my Easter Hols so hopefully I'll be able to write a lot more.  It always rains here anyway so, going out won't be an issue! What do you all think? In the next chappie, Harry and Ron take the role of bodyguards while Hermione talks to Lupin and Voldie's reaction to Draco's idiotic mistake… should be fun to write! Now… I've been away from writing for so long… I've forgotten what actually does happen… not good! I'll get it eventually! Byes!)

****


	10. Chapter ten

**Chapter Ten**

(Hiyaz! Sorry about the last chapter, it was written in such a hurry and I continually went back and forth so… I hate the way it turned out, I would go back and fix it but… who cares? This chapter will be better written (I hope!) because I am now allowed to carry on! Thank you Mr. D! He said that I should carry on because it's aiding my English skills! Yayness! *dances* Thanx to the MysticalWoodElf who reviewed Chapter 9, VERY much appreciated! It's great to see that peepz are taking an interest again! I will try and make it the length you want but it will be hard… I have shortened it a bit from the original idea but, we shall see… thanx again… bye!)

"No!"

"Go on!"

"If you don't… we will!"

"Okay, okay… I'll go tell him!"

"Want us to come?"

"No, I'll be fine!"

"Sure?"

"YES!" Hermione cried in an irritated voice as she pulled the bell's string outside the teacher's dormitory.

"Think they'll be pissed off?" Ron asked suddenly.

Only then had the thought sunk in on Harry.  He looked at his watch which was showing the time at just after midnight. "Very." He nodded.

Ron looked at the tall, slim door and then at Hermione.  "You're on your own now girl!" he turned to run when the door opened.

"What do you want at this hour? I swear this had better be good or I'll have all three of you suspended or expelled!" typically, Snape had answered the door… wearing a white night robe with pink spots and a frown on his face, standing over them ominously.  The blue, fluffy slippers just added to the effect.

Harry, Ron and Hermione stared for a minute looking up and down, completely horrified at seeing Snape out of his usual black robes but also at seeing him wearing a night gown.  It was the sort of things that would give anyone nightmares.  How could he possibly think he was being threatening wearing that?

"Excuse me Professor Snape sir, but we need to talk to Professor Lupin…" Hermione said in a small voice, looking down at the ground.

"Can't it wait until the morning?" Snape snapped sleepily.

"It is morning sir…" Ron muttered.

"It's urgent…" Hermione replied.

"Life or death!" Harry added quickly.

Snape's lip curled and he looked down at the children, the frown was still fixed on his face.  After a while, he turned and bellowed, "LUPIN! YOU'RE WANTED!"

As soon as he moved away the three teenagers could see into the depths of the teacher's liar, a sight rarely seen by students.  Snape was walking towards the corner where Lupin was lying with his head down on the desk, papers scattered all around him.  It looked as if the corner had suffered a very small hurricane.

"Tidy yourself up man!" Snape hit Lupin over the head to wake him up.

Lupin made a strange moaning noise and flapped his arms around the air where Snape was standing but he didn't open his eyes.

"Lupin, for God's sake man, wake up! Don't make me get the water jug!" Snape sighed.

"What on earth is going on down here?"

Everyone looked up at the staircase, even Lupin managed to open one eye and look up.  It was McGonnagal… and she was wearing a short, slinky night dress.  It really didn't suit her, especially to the eyes of the three young teens, it would've looked sexy on anyone else…  She was also wearing a moss green face mask and she still had her hair up in that tight bun that many people argued if she ever did take it out, now they had evidence that she didn't.

Harry and Ron yelled.

"You're on your own now Hermione!"

"Yeah, this is when we leave you… just like you asked!"

With that, they both ran.

"What is the meaning of this Miss Granger? And at this hour?" she snapped.

"I'm sorry professor but… it's urgent that I speak to Professor Lupin… now," Hermione looked down again and played with the rug's tassel.

"What's wrong Hermione?" Lupin stretched, pages that had stuck to the side of his face fell off as he did so, leaving traces of the inked letters on him.

"Privately!" she added looking at Snape and McGonagal.

"Of course Hermione… is it really that urgent?" he looked at his watch.

"I can't sleep sir… I won't till I talk to you about this!"

Snape walked past her muttering, "Probably panicking over an exam paper as usual."

Hermione glared as he walked past, McGonagal also walked back up, leaving Hermione alone with the haggard, sleepy Lupin.

"Tell me what's bothering you Hermione.  Something tells me it's not a test," he said as he pulled a chair round for her.

Hermione hesitated for a while and stared around the big, cathedral-like room with its stained glass windows and high ceiling.  It had statues of various witches and wizards, tall pillars running up all four corners each with a house crest engraved onto it and the Hogwarts motto under them with the name of the house founder.  It was a nice room with all eight house colours merged with such mastery that it looked so good and no one would've noticed it at all.

"Hermione? You're not going to sit there and not tell me are you? Not after seeing Snape in his night gown? It's too much of an ordeal to go through for nothing you know!"

Hermione managed a smile, it was good to smile now and Lupin made it so easy.  Her face then darkened again before she began.

"You talked to Harry and Ron yesterday… about Draco…"

"Yes," Lupin was leaning in towards her as if he would hear something hidden in what she was about to say.

 "Well, they told me and I didn't believe them.  It was all insane! Oh God, I should've listened to them and never gone out on my own!"

Lupin could easily guess what had happened.  He reached out and wiped away a tear that had escaped her eyes.  "Don't go into it if you can't.  All I'm concerned about is if he hurt you or not."

Hermione shook her head slightly, "He didn't get a chance to but he did try.  It would've ended differently if I hadn't had my necklace, or if Fang hadn't of pushed him away from me." She reached to her neck, only to remember that Draco had thrown her necklace away.  "I feel so venerable without my necklace!"

Lupin looked at the petrified girl in front of him and sighed.  "He's up to something."

"I know.  Harry and Ron told me all about it.  But why?"

"I don't know, but we will find out in time.  Voldemort's got a plan and it doesn't sound good."

"How can we stop this?"

"Depends on what the plan is."

Hermione thought for a moment.  "Vampires originate in Romania.  What are they doing here?"

Lupin stayed silent for a minute.  "Last year, Voldemort called upon creatures of darkness to aid him in his plans.  That includes creatures that don't have minds of their own, creatures like vampires, dementors, trolls and even werewolves.  But I, of course, manage to control myself so I could fight it.  Vampires can't because they no longer have a soul, did I teach you lot this?"

"You told us that a person loses their soul when they get bitten and they turn evil if that's what you mean."

"Did I tell you about the whole 'once bitten, twice damned' thing?"

"No." Hermione was shocked that she hadn't heard of it before.

"Well, this may not be of any importance but I can see you're interested.  It means that once a person is bitten, they are damned twice.  Once by means of their body being over taken by an evil force after the absence of their soul and twice by means of the actual soul.  The person's soul leaves them as the person's life dissolves and is forced into a sort of darkness where they are trapped until the body is destroyed."

Hermione blinked.  She could be onto something.  Those voices she heard when Draco got too close, could they have been the real Draco calling to her?

"I hear voices… a voice calls to me when Draco gets too close to me.  He tells me to get away and to run but also, he asks me for help.  He says that he is trapped and there is no way out, that he is lost and scared.  Could that be his soul?"

Lupin looked at her, deep in thought and a look of realisation soon dawned his tired face.  "Voices? Draco's voice calling to you?"

"Is it?"

"It sounds like it.  And if it is, we could be onto something," he said as he tapped the desk with his fingers and walked over to a wall full of books.

Hermione thought for a moment but still couldn't think of what Lupin was up to.  "What?"

"It's a good thing!" Lupin smiled as he sat back down with a leather bound book that looked as if it hadn't been thumbed through for at least half a century.  "You want to help Draco don't you? Set him free?"

"Yes!"

"Well, there are two ways of doing that.  One way is the traditional way of destroying a vampire and that's the stake through the heart but that can be nasty if you knew the person well.  Many people have failed to do this because they couldn't stand the thought of doing that to the person, it's the vampire that makes them think that so they can get away.  By doing that, you are destroying the source of the evil force and therefore setting the soul free, although the person will die."

"I don't want to have to do that!"

"Of course not.  The other way is rarely used because it's dangerous and usually fails, it's also because this situation only ever happens if the person escapes the vampire before the ritual is complete!"

"Sir, you're confusing me!"

"The ritual of a vampire is more than just biting and draining their blood.  Once the person wakes up again, the vampire is to come back and make the half-vampire drink the blood that the attacker took from them.  This makes the evil stronger and more dangerous, a complete vampire.  But what I think has happened is that whoever the attacker was has forgotten about this and so Draco's soul is still strong and is trying to fight the force away… trying to save people from it!"

Hermione remained silent, she stared in astonishment that Lupin was able to tell her all of this information from a small paragraph in a book.  It was logical, she had heard about it before but only in fictional stories but she never thought for a moment that it was true.

"How's that good? Can we help him?"

"Yes, it says in this book that a complex spell or potion will keep the evil at bay and let Draco regain control again.  A bit like the stuff I take when it's a full moon only it's permanent, look."

Hermione looked at the book and saw a jewelled necklace.  It said that the evil will remain at bay as long as the necklace is worn.  It was worth a try anyway, not only will it bring Draco back to her but if Draco was really that important to Voldemort, then the plan will not go ahead and Harry will be safe.

"What can I do to help?" she asked as soon as she had read it.

"You have to talk to Draco, coax him into fighting harder so we can capture the creature and attempt the spell."

"Sorry… attempt?"

"It's a complex spell Hermione!" Lupin shook his head, "If it doesn't work then we will have to destroy him."

"It's worth a shot though… isn't it?"

"You really want Draco back don't you?"

"We've gotten close… I know that that's not the real Draco and I want him back… I don't want to lose him now.  Not like this!"

Lupin stared into the girl's fierce eyes full of determination and hope.  He knew what she was saying and what she was going through.  He couldn't refuse her the hope of saving her friend's life.  "Okay, we will try, but don't get excited.  Not only may it not work, but once you do bring him back, he won't be truly alive, he's still dead Hermione.  He may not be the same.  When he was bitten he died, life drained out of him.  Once his soul returns, he will be able to feel sadness and pain once again, live forever but still feel the agony of losing all those that he once loved… are you sure you want to bring him back to that?"

Hermione fell silent again.  She hadn't thought about that.

"Talk to him.  If you can talk to Draco then do that," Lupin added standing up and taking her to the door.  "Get some sleep now, Harry and Ron will make sure you're safe, until you get that necklace back.

"Thank you professor… sorry about waking you up."

"It's okay; I don't sleep much now anyway," he smiled as she walked back to the common room.

*~*~*~*~*

"You go! He likes you more!"

"Me? You're the one he's always talking about!"

"Why won't you just go and tell him?"

"Why don't you?"

"We'll both go, okay?"

"After you."

"No, after you Dari, I insist!"

"What are you two idiots up to?"

Donato and Dario jumped and yelled at hearing their master's voice.  They wanted to get dear Draco into trouble but what if Voldemort took his anger out on them?

"W-we have something to tell you…" Donato muttered.

"I gathered that much from your quarrelling.  Spill it now!"

"It's about pretty boy Draco, he's too much of a coward to come and tell you himself, face to face," Dario stood up straight, his messed up white hair tipped with black falling over his dull black eyes.

"Really? And why are you two here to tell me?"

"Because we thought you ought to know, it is very damaging to the plan after all!" Donato smirked.

"What has he done now?" Voldemort was getting impatient and now very angry.

"He let the filthy little mudblood escape and now she knows about him.  If she knows then Potter will be out of our reach because there is no one to get him on his own.  They will be together all the time now keeping an eye out for Malfoy!" Donato told him with an evil grin that showed his sharp teeth maliciously.

Voldemort was silent for a while.  The two vampires looked at each other and Dario shrugged and motioned to the doorway.

"We'll be going now…" Donato muttered as they both crept backwards to the door.

"Hold it!"

They both froze. 

"Bring him to me."

"Malfoy or Potter?" both boys asked.

Voldemort thought about it himself for a few moments, after a few seconds, his pale face twisted into a cruel grin that spelt menace.  

"Both of them!"

*~*~*~*~*

_"You mean… you can help me?" Draco smiled slightly but tried not to gather his hopes up._

_Hermione__ saw the trace of hope and joy in his eyes as they stood hand in hand in the darkness.  Hermione had willed with all she had that she could talk to Draco in her dream and tell him.  It had worked but now she felt saddened.  As she gazed into the joy filled eyes of her friend, she knew that she couldn't tell him that it might not work.  That he would live a life of pain and live with it forever as those around him die… a human life would be so short to him…_

_"Of course I can help you! I will try so hard for as long as I can!" she plainly said._

_Draco__ smiled wider.  "Oh, thank you Hermione!" he kissed her quickly on her cheek.  "Thank you! It has been torture in here.  I'm so lonely and that evil possessing thing in my body is so hard to fight so I can't escape!"_

_"I will not leave you here, don't worry.  We will be able to see each other again properly and… and… oh we will have the best time together I swear, I will never take our friendship for granted.  You should've seen me when I thought you were dead!"_

_"I heard you… I hear you all the time when you are in pain.  That's why I am tortured in here…"_

_Hermione__ looked at the boy, "Oh, I will get you out! Don't worry!"_

_"I know you will."_

*~*~*~*~*~*

"I think she's asleep Harry.  Lucky… we have to sit up and watch her sleep while we are bloody knackered!" Ron complained bitterly.  "Wish I was being threatened by a raging vampire…"

Harry stood up and walked over to the sofa, pulling out his invisibility cloak.  "Not for much longer.  I'm ending this now!"

"Harry… what are you doing?"

"I'm going to the store cupboard in the Defence Against the Dark Arts room.  I will find the little bastard and end this now.  I will not stand by and let him torture her like this!" Harry was enraged.  Trying to stop him now would be like trying to stop the tide.

"I'll come too!"

"No, you need to stay here and guard her.  Just in case there are more of them somewhere or if he comes here."

"Harry, wait till morning! They can't attack you in the day light!"

"I will not wait or take the cowards way out.  I will destroy this creature now…"

(So? Any better at all? The humour is back! YAY! So, things explained in this chapter that I only came up with today, wohoo! Me= genius! Remember to review and tell me what you all thought, I am rushing it more than originally planned so I can have a calm before the storm sort of thing later.  Still, I'm enjoying this.  I'm reading 'Interview with the vampire' at the minute so I'm getting ideas! Bad thing in most cases really but, we'll see! Byes for now peepz!)


	11. Chapter eleven

**Chapter Eleven**

(The start's badly written but I make up for it at the end! This is one of many big battles to be fought in this fic… okay… three fights! The fight is continued into the next chappie anyways. The fic is nearly half finished yay! Long chapter though… very long…)

"Sounds easy enough," Dario shrugged.

"Dari… he's not going to just walk right into our open arms.  We will have to find him and then capture him… not easy!" Donato argued.

Both boys were walking through the forest, back to the lair to find Draco and then go to find Harry.  They both automatically jumped into the shadows and blended in as soon as they heard someone coming.

"Hey… it's Potter!" Dario grinned at Donato.  "You were saying my friend?"

"Shut it! You got lucky!" Donato spat.

"Who's there?" Harry jumped and the light on his wand flickered.  He stared around the area he was standing in the grounds.  There was definitely someone there, he had heard them.  He cautiously set back out through the forest, back pack full of weapons and guards.

A snap of a twig.

Harry spun round again.  Then he heard the same thing come from behind him again.  He spun round once again but he still saw nothing.  Harry was getting scared.

_Hey… did that shadow just… Oh come off it Harry! It's just a trick of the light! Harry shook his head._

No.  Something was moving in the shadows but before Harry could reach for a weapon, something jumped out at him like a striking snake and forced him down to the ground, Harry's wand light went out as it hit the ground.  Harry cried out in surprise but couldn't struggle out of the strong grip.

"Hello Potter.  Fancy seeing you in this neighbourhood!" a voice whispered.

"Who are you? Get off me or I'll… I'll be forced to hurt you!"

The boy laughed, Harry could hear another one doing the same a short distance away.  "Hurt us? Do you know who we are Potter?" he sneered.

Harry remained silent.  Did he want to know? A bright white light appeared from beside him and filled the small area they were staying.  Now Harry could see who these people were, it made him jump to see the one who was holding him down to the ground.

"Remember me?" Donato grinned.

"What do you want?" Harry hissed.

The other boy sat down beside Harry with a white flame in his palm.  Harry had not seen him before but he looked sinister with his black, shifty eyes.  "Nothing much…" he sighed before looking at Harry sideways.

"We just need…" Donato trailed off as he lifted one hand off Harry's shoulders.  Harry attempted to get away now but the grip was still unbelievably strong.  Harry felt Donato placing an icy finger onto his temple and whispering an incantation.  Within seconds, Harry began to feel dizzy and sick, soon he began to fall into darkness and he fell limp in Donato's grip.  "…you!" Donato grinned as he and Dario grabbed an arm each.

"Pathetic really aren't they? Mortals," Dario sighed. 

They both disappeared with Harry.

*~*~*~*~*

Draco opened his eyes.  He didn't remember falling asleep but when he woke, he realised why he had.  He couldn't move, his head spun, his throat was dry and painful.  He felt paralysed as well as weak.

"Raven… you there?" he managed to call in a strained voice.

"Finally awake then are you? I didn't want to wake you…" she said to him from the other side of the cave with a small group of girls.

"Something's not right…"

"What's up?" she stood up and went over to him, kneeling down with her hand on his.

"I can't move… so weak…"

"Draco, when was the last time you had a drink?" she sighed.

"Never…" he replied after thinking.

"That's the problem!" she shook her head.  "Draco, you need to have something! Why do you think us vampires drink blood? To keep us from totally dying that's why! We need that blood to make up for what we don't have!"

"You tell me that now!"

"Wasn't it obvious?"

"Leave me alone… I'm blonde!"

Raven laughed.  "At least you still have your sense of humour! Hold on, I'll get you something." She got up and left.

The girls in the corner giggled.  Draco grew agitated and his eye twitched.

"What?" he snapped.

More giggling.  Draco groaned.  

Almost straight after Raven left, the chamber door opened again and hurried footsteps could be heard running down the stone stairs.

"Malfoy, my friend!" 

"Get away from me Donato!" Draco glared as he sat up slowly and propped himself up against the wall.

"I do believe someone wants a word with you," Donato grinned malevolently.

Draco stared at Donato.  There was something about his face that told Draco that he had done something to endanger him.  _He wouldn't have! _"Don… please say you didn't tell!"

"Hmmm… sorry Malfoy, can't do that!" Donato reached forward and grabbed Draco round the neck.

"Will you two take it outside!" one of the girls snapped.

"Won't be long girls… in fact, we were just leaving," Donato replied sweetly.

"Get off! No, I won't go! You wouldn't! You wouldn't!" Draco didn't have the energy to thrash and kick.

"This is too easy!" Donato laughed, "First Potter walks right into our arms and now you are too weak to even move! This is good!"

"Potter? What are you at?"

"You'll see…" Donato put his finger to Draco temple and muttered something.  A few seconds later and Draco's head began to spin just like Harry's had, the spinning was continually growing faster and faster until he felt sick and fell unconscious.

*~*~*~*~*

Hermione tossed over and opened her eyes to the weak light of early morning.  Beside her, Ron was lying with his head lolling off the arm rest of the sofa where Hermione was curled up in.  His mouth was open and soft snores could be heard along with a string of drool dropping out of his mouth.  Hermione's nose wrinkled up in disgust.

"Honestly Ronald! Clean yourself up!" she whispered as she walked over to the writing desk, taking an every-flavour bean from the box.  She aimed and threw it into his mouth.

Ron woke up with a snort and a jump, "Apocalypse! Run for your lives!"

Hermione laughed, "Good morning to you too!"

"What kind of wake up is that?" he swallowed the bean, "I mean, you could've used a better flavour! Yuck, cactus!"

"Oh so sorry, I'll lick it next time to make sure it's a good flavour!"

"No, you're alright there!" Ron stretched.

"Typically, you fall asleep… what if a nasty vampire had come and attacked me in my sleep?"  she smiled as she also stretched.  "Where's Harry?"

Ron froze, "Uh oh…"

"What?" Hermione grew concerned.

"He left last night… after you fell asleep… he isn't back!" Ron looked around him.

"Left… to go where?" then a thought struck her.  _He wouldn't have… would he? _"Ron, where'd he go? Tell me!" she grabbed him by the collar.

"He went out to find Malfoy and get rid of him so he won't try to kill you! Get off Hermione you're hurting me! No, Hermione, that's getting tighter!"

Hermione tensed and stared at Ron.  "No… I've got to go get him back before he does something stupid!" she let go and started to head to the portrait hole.

"I thought you'd be glad Harry was going to destroy him," Ron called.

Hermione stopped and walked back to Ron slowly.  "Something Lupin told me last night… he said that I could save Draco.  We didn't have to destroy him…"

"Hermione… he's a vampire!"

"I know! But Lupin said that I can save him because he's not a complete vampire yet! The person who attacked him forgot to finish the ritual, so Draco's soul is still strong and we can call it back!"

Ron was looking at Hermione as if she was insane.  "Yeah… and flobber worms will some day rule the world!"

"Ron! Believe me, please! The attacker forgot to come back for Draco and make him drink their blood… to complete it."

"Now I know you're mad! Vampires don't have blood… why else do you think they want ours?"

"No! Listen to me… the blood they force him to drink is his own! It gives him strength and makes the evil force stronger, it also stops him from dying like a human normally would after a vampire drains them… the attacker forgot about that so that means we can help him!"

"Hermione… I know that you want Malfoy to be himself again, but whatever dream you had last night… it's madness!"

"I hear Draco when… oh you know what… I give up! I'm going now to stop Harry… you want to come, you can come.  If not, sit here and think that you're right!" Hermione turned and ran out.

Ron sat on his own in the common room staring into space, "It is mad… she's gone nutters…" he said to himself.  He sat for all five seconds before he sighed and followed.  "Wait!"

*~*~*~*~*

Harry felt stiff all over.  He tried to sit up but it was painful, especially on the hard, cold, stone floor he was lying on.  He didn't have a clue where he was or what had happened.  All he remembered was wandering into the forest, being attacked and then dizziness.  He didn't want to open his eyes, scared of what he might see, scared of who he might see.  Eventually, he did open them.

The room was all completely dark except for the occasional thin bar of morning sunlight venturing in through cracks on the wooden window shutter.  The whole room was made of stone… moss covered stone.  It was also cold and smelt strongly of decay.  

Harry managed to sit up and rubbed his aching head, he sat for a few minutes letting his eyes get used to the darkness of the room.  After that, he managed to see little details of the room such as the chains and manacles bolted to the walls, the floor stained with dried blood, rats' bones scattered all around him, piles of tattered cloaks and other clothes and old and rusted weapons that probably haven't seen battle in centuries.

He sighed and leaned up against the wall.  What was happening? What was he doing here? Another noise could be heard from the area near the pile of clothes in the darkness and Harry jumped.  It was a moaning, groaning sound that sounded almost human.  Then the pile moved, it was then Harry realised it wasn't a pile of clothes, but another person.  Harry stared but he couldn't make them out through the darkness.

"Who's there?" Harry croaked with is dry, strained voice.

A moan was the only reply followed by a slight attempt at the person sitting up.

Harry stood up shakily and walked over to this person to help, they sounded in a great deal of pain.  "You okay? Need help?" Harry kneeled down beside the curled up figure and gave them a shake.  

"Get away…" a small, raspy voice threatened.

"I'm only trying to help… who are you?"

No answer.  Harry shook the person again, he felt very cold… deathly cold.  Harry waited for a reaction but nothing happened, the person wasn't moving.  Harry then panicked.

"Hey… you alive?" he asked urgently shaking the figure again and turning it over to see the face.  Harry pulled back with a glare.

Draco was lying there in front of him, deathly white and cold, hair messed up and the lightest colour of blonde anyone could imagine, his face completely motionless and his chest totally still from movement… he may as well have been dead to anyone who looked at him.

Harry continued to glare at Draco.  He could do it now, now that Draco was weak and defenceless but Harry had no weapons.  Usually Harry wouldn't attack someone as defenceless as this but he felt such anger towards this creature that he would've torn him apart without hesitation.  

A squeaky door opened a little way off and brought Harry back to his senses.  A tall man with long, ragged brown hair stared down at him.  He was carrying a mug in his hand

"You'd better move…" he told Harry.  His voice was like a growl; Harry could tell he was a werewolf.  Harry moved away and the werewolf-man sat down beside Draco.

"Drink this, kid," he whispered as he lifted the mug to Draco's pale lips and tipped the liquid into his mouth.  "You'll feel stronger after this."

_Yeah, and once he gets up, I'll kick his ass! Harry thought.  He could smell the liquid from where he was standing; it was, of course, blood.  Harry's stomach churned violently._

The guy then stood up and while leaving he said, "Someone will see you in a minute, Potter…" he grinned.  The grin made Harry feel very uncomfortable and know that something bad would come of that.

After a while of complete silence, there was a startled sound that came from Draco.  He sat up and rubbed his head.  Harry walked over to him and leaned against the wall beside him.

Draco blinked a few times and stared around him wildly, then he found Harry.

"Hello Malfoy," he said neutrally before hitting him hard round the back of his head. 

Draco fell to his side but quickly recovered and glared.  "What are you at Potter?"

"I have a little revenge to get on you from a friend of mine!" he grabbed Draco by the collar and pushed him up against the wall.

Draco laughed softly and bowed his head, "Do you honestly believe that you can harm me with pathetic mortal methods?"

Harry barely had time to think.  As quick as a flash, Draco had broke free from Harry's grip and had pinned him up against the wall instead.  Draco laughed softly again and raised both his eyebrows swiftly at Harry, mocking him.

"I have powers that you can only dream of, Potter.  I can move with the swiftness and speed of lightning, I can use powerful magic without aid of a wand, I can disappear into the night… blend into the shadows so you don't know I'm there… I am more powerful than you, Weasel boy and the mud-blood put together.  So don't… push it!"

Harry glared and more hatred flared up inside him like an innocent camp fire turning into a wild forest blaze.  He pushed Draco away from him, ready to fight.

"You want to die Potter? Fine, fight me and die trying to kill me!" Draco taunted.

Harry was ready for him, surely there was something in this room he could use to kill him… surely.

"There will be none of that."

Both boys jumped back a step when they heard the voice of Lord Voldemort.  If Harry had expected Draco to be all humble and stand by his master, he was greatly shocked to see Draco cower back into the shadows.

Voldemort advanced towards them, he stopped beside Harry and pushed him aside into the wall.  "I'll deal with you in a moment, Potter."

Draco edged silently along the dark, shadowed wall, heading towards the open door.

"Where do you think you're going Malfoy? I want a _word with you," Voldemort walked forward and grabbed Draco by the wrist before he could get away._

Draco struggled but he dared not lash out at him.  That would just make things a lot worse.

"You'd better be afraid of me Draco! I let you get away with failing me once.  I found a way round it and gave you a second chance, you failed me again! This time, you will suffer!" Voldemort hissed at the struggling creature in his grasp.

Draco swallowed hard and stared up at Voldemort with huge, hollow eyes filled with the only human emotion to pass over them in a while, fear.  Voldemort hadn't noticed, for if he had noticed this mortal emotion, he would've been suspicious and begin questioning him.  He'd find out about Draco still being connected to his soul.

*~*~*~*

Meanwhile, Ron and Hermione were heading for the grounds to find Harry when Lupin stopped them before they had even made it out of Gryffindor tower.  He had come up to talk to Hermione.

"Where are you two going?" he asked.

"Harry's gone to try and kill Draco!" Hermione explained, "We're trying to go stop him."

Lupin was deep in thought for a minute, "It's not Draco I'd be worried about if I were you! Harry could be in a lot of danger if he fights with Draco.  Vampires are very powerful.  I was going to come up and tell you that we can try to start the spell tonight.  It would make it safer to us if he comes to us instead of us going to catch him, but now I know that we must do it now to save Harry."

Hermione stared.  "What?" she asked in a confused tone.

"We have to start the spell now or Draco will kill Harry!" Lupin simply said.  "This part of the spell will coax the soul into fighting the evil and regain control long enough for Draco to get here to us so we can finish it.  We must do it now or Harry will die."

Hermione looked at Ron who was wearing his 'Great, she was right after all but I won't mention it' look, it was what was normally on his face during class time.

"Okay… what do we have to do?" she asked.

"It's mainly you, Hermione.  You have to talk to his soul and keep that connection while I cast a spell," Lupin explained as they walked down to his room.

"What do I do?" Ron asked.

"You have the most important job," Lupin grinned.

"What's that?"

"Sitting and keeping an eye out for Snape! I have to sneak into his store cupboard for some supplies for the rest of the spell, so we may as well do this part in there too!"

"Great…" Ron said sarcastically.

"Hurry!" Lupin sped up.  The children followed.

(A/N:- a VERY rushed part there!)

*~*~*~*~*

Even Harry winced at the sight of Draco being tortured by Voldemort.  He was being thrown about the room, spell after spell was cast on him and all with the same result… Draco crying out in agony.

Eventually Voldemort stopped and put his wand back into his robe pocket.  "You think that this is bad Malfoy? I haven't finished yet.  You deserve worse than this, many people who have failed me have suffered worse, but how can I make it any worse for you? You are already in a low, pathetic state… a lowly, filthy vampire.  I could just let you die but that would be a relief to this cursed 'life' you know lead.  I will put you through pain until you scream for mercy and forgiveness, to make sure that you will never fail me again!" with that, he opened the wooden shutter that kept out the strong sunlight.

The sunlight filled the room soon followed by the worst cry of agony that Harry had heard.  The sunlight made Harry blink after the long darkness.  He sat with his back against the wall, not being able to frown out the cries and yells from Draco as the sunlight burnt him.  He looked up and saw Draco writhing on the ground, hands covering his face as a weak defence.  His eyes were watering and tears escaped his eyes down his burning, cracking skin.  Harry winced again and looked away.

_Let it be over soon… let me die for God's sake! Draco thought as the pain was growing unbearable.  Just as he was about to give up struggling, darkness filled the room once again.  Draco still lay curled up on the floor, his strength coming back to him as he lay in the darkness but he dared not move._

Voldemort walked over and dragged him up off the ground.  His face was getting back to its normal, pale state but his eyes were still full of water.  "Had enough? He grinned.

Draco closed his eyes and turned his head away.  He didn't say a word.

"Speak to me, boy!" Voldemort threw Draco up against the wall.  "Now, what do you say?"

Draco struggled weakly in Voldemort's grip, "I-I'm sorry m-master… I w-will never…n-never f-fail you again… never…" Draco stammered.

Voldemort laughed, "You're right.  Never… fail me again or you know what will happen.  Maybe next time it will be worse. " With that, he threw Draco aside and advanced towards Harry.  "Now, as for you, Potter…"

(Too long? Tell me if it was, I do get carried away most of the time, I had to fight to stop it there so I'm itching to write the next chapter!!!! *eye twitches* PLEASE review if you liked it or if you have anything to say… any ideas for me or anything! C yas next chappie when the rest of the little encounter with voldie finishes with a fight and Hermione tries to call Draco back! BYES!!!!)


	12. Chapter twelve

**Chapter Twelve**

(I really hope that this isn't as hard to read as it was to write at the part with the battle between Draco and 'Draco'… oh, you'll see what I mean… long chappie… maybe I should just not say that because you're all probably expecting long chappies off me now! It's a habit, I don't do short chappies! Thanx to all who reviewed the last chapter, I love you all!!!!! This chappie is humour free for serious reasons, although I did put some in, I deleted them… ruined the mood _too much! Ah well… 'bout time it got serious… it's a bloody horror story for God's sake!)_

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"So, I finally tear you away from the help and protection of your friends," Voldemort shot a glare at the shaking boy beside the wall, "Would've been a lot sooner if Malfoy hadn't of messed it all up."

Harry sat and looked up at Voldemort and then at Draco, "That's why you did that to him… to get to me…" 

"Why else do you think I did it? Other than an attempt to destroy his life and make it a misery after deserting me, that was my plan.  You trusted him and I took that trust to use to my advantage."

Harry let a small laugh of disbelief escape, "You're sick…" 

"You can say what you want Potter.  You won't be alive for much longer."

"Oh… great! I'll make the most of it then shall I? Let's see, I think that you're a sick, evil, murderous bastard who loves himself and thinks that he is… God or something! You think that you are so superior and powerful but really I bet you can't even match up to ankle height of Dumbledore's power and you know what else? You think you're being threatening and scary and 'OH I'm the dark master of the world' and all that, 'fear me!'… I am not afraid of you… you…" Harry had to stop himself.  He was shaking in anger but there was no fear of what was to come.  He looked up at is enemy.

Voldemort merely stared back, not a trace of annoyance or anger, just an unusual, unnerving calm look on his face.  He laughed shortly, "That's all you got Potter? Well, let me show you what I have for you." Voldemort stopped and pointed his wand casually at Harry, "Crucio."

*~*~*~*~*

"Nine O'clock and all's well…" Ron yawned.

"Ron, please… we are trying to concentrate here… just tell us when the greasy haired git comes," Lupin sighed in irritation.

"Sorry, I'm anxious.  What if something has already happened to Harry?"

"If you keep talking, that will become more likely… shut up!" Hermione snapped.  She sat on top of the table with her eyes closed and a look of concentration etched on her pale, tired face while Lupin searched through the potion jars and phials.  She felt really stupid in this position, it looked as if she was meditating or something.

Ron sighed and sat back, still staring out of the crack in the doorway.  Lupin let out the odd sound of horror and disgust at the contents of some jars but other than that, all was silent.  Hermione found herself drifting off into a dreamy, blank state.  Being drawn in as if something was pulling her.

_Hermione__ stared around and called for him into the darkness, her voice echoed around her but there was no movement.  She stood still on the spot, looking round frantically.  She had to find him, fast.  Harry's life rested on her finding Draco._

_"Hey! You!" she called when she saw two darker shadows moving along the darkness.  Unlike Draco, their shape and features were clear, their pale faces were the only spot of light in the darkness.  They stopped talking and laughing and looked up slightly afraid at the sound of her voice.  Hermione walked up to them, "It's okay… I won't hurt you…"_

_One looked up, it was a boy about her age with black hair that fell over startling blue eyes.  "You couldn't hurt me if you tried anyway.  You new?"_

_"What? No, I'm not one of you.  I'm a mortal, I'm here to find someone… it's urgent!" she then stopped to look at the boy.  He was staring at her as if she was completely insane._

_"How did you get here?" the other one asked, brushing his long white hair out of his brown eyes._

_"I don't know how I can get here but I need to see someone… it's urgent I find Draco…"_

_"Draco? As in Draco Malfoy? Tall, blonde hair, grey eyes?" the first one asked._

_"YES!"_

_"We're scared of him… he's not like us either… he's more like you…"_

_"What do you mean?"_

_"He's not solid… not totally here.  Look at yourself, you're a mortal, not meant to stay here.  You're faded." The second one pointed at her._

_Hermione__ blinked and looked down at her own hand which was indeed faded like a ghost.  She had noticed that Draco was faded slightly at the edges, but of course she had not looked at herself and she had thought that all people here were like that._

_"Oh, well, it's hard to explain… please just tell me where he is!"_

_The first boy took a deep breath.  "Come with us, we might find him…"_

_Hermione__ followed them through the darkness.  It seemed mad that people actually knew their way round here and recognised places, to her it was just all darkness.  Perhaps they saw something she didn't._

_As they walked they met others.  Pale faces looking at Hermione with fearful glances from their glassy eyes.  Ages varied dramatically, ranging from small children no older than three to elderly people that looked like they were about to drop dead at any moment.  Hermione stared back at these 'things', totally fascinated.  "What is this place?" she thought out loud._

_"I thought you knew since you came down here," the white-haired boy answered._

_"I don't really know, all I know is that it's almost like a world of the dead…"_

_"I don't really know what's going on either.  None of us remember what happened to us, all we know is, we're here and we're not getting out.  I reckon it's Hell…"_

_"That's horrible… How long have you two been here?" Hermione whispered._

_The first boy screwed up his face in thought.  "I… I don't know… time has no place here."_

_"It's the twenty first century now if that helps."_

_The boy stopped so abruptly Hermione walked right through him.  She shivered.  "Twenty first?" he swallowed.  The second boy had also stopped and was now walking slowly towards them, his face was full of horror._

_"Yeah…"_

_"Last time I checked… I was walking down a street in __Paris__ after a play with my friend Dario here.  We had just left off our girls friends and we were heading home… in the early nineteenth century…" the first boy told her shakily._

_Hermione's__ mouth opened in shock.  Their clothes showed no sign of the century they had died in, all of the creatures here were all wearing the same thing… long, black robes and black cloaks.  "Oh my God… that long… in here?" she looked round._

_"HERMIONE!"___

_Hermione__ spun round and saw Draco running towards her.  She sighed, "Thank God! Draco, emergency situation!" no time for 'Hello's here… time to be blunt and to the point._

_Draco stopped and gave her a look of concern.  "What's going on?"_

_"It's Harry… he's in danger and we need your help! You need to stop that creature from killing Harry."_

_"Creature?"___

_"I'll explain later! Look, Professor Lupin in going to cast a spell to get you out of here so you can save Harry!"_

_"How?__ There's no way out!" the boy Dario spoke up._

_"He's right, once you're here, you don't leave!"_

_"Only you can Draco! That's why you're faded, you're not totally here.  Half of you is still connected to life."_

_"You mean I'm not dead?"_

_"None of you are! You are all just trapped here until set free! I'll explain more later Draco, just please do as I say!"_

_Draco stared at her for a few seconds before sighing, "What do I do then?"_

_"When you get back to the living world, you must fight the evil thing possessing your body and get Harry back to Hogwarts safely."_

_"Hermione, do you not think I've tried that?-"_

_"JUST DO IT!" Hermione was losing patience.  "Lupin's spell will help you, just… please do this!"_

"What is she doing?" Ron looked round.

Hermione was mouthing words and pulling faces as if talking to someone.

"I think she's found him…" Lupin jumped down from the ladder and reached for his wand and pointed it at Hermione.

"…er… you sure you know what you're doing?" Ron asked.

Lupin ignored him, "_Viern__ Veltua"_

*~*~*~*

Harry felt numb all over, he lay on the ground unable to move.  He was beyond feeling the pain.  He was alone, no one to help him, nothing to aid him… he had nothing to save him this time.  He opened one eye slightly and saw Voldemort towering over him with a satisfied grin spread across his pale face and wand lazily pointed at Harry.

"Had enough?" he grinned.

Harry groaned, "It doesn't matter what I say… you're going to kill me anyway…"

Voldemort laughed shortly, "True, but I could save you a lot of pain by killing you now."

Draco stood in the shadows, he didn't even blink an eye at the torture Harry was going through, he didn't care any more.  He didn't even move until he felt something shock through his body.  He clenched his teeth but it was gone as soon as it had come, then came an angry voice roaring through his head.

_"Right you… I don't know what the hell you are but you are not staying! This is my property… in fact it is me… not you!"_

_"You gonna make me leave then? Ha! Just try it!"_

_"Fine… we can do this the hard way or the easy way.  You're choice mate…"_

_"What makes you think that I'll stand down?"_

_"Oh… hard way then?_ Fun!"__

"AAAARGH! Get away!"

Voldemort spun round and Harry shakily lifted up his head, both stared at Draco, who was clutching his head and sliding down the wall, thrashing about as if someone was slapping him from both sides.

"Malfoy! What the hell are you doing?" Voldemort shouted in irritation.

"I'm fine… just… FINE!" Draco hissed through gritted teeth as he knelt on the ground and shook his head.

"Enough!" Voldemort yelled before turning back to Harry.  "Crucio!"

Harry didn't have the energy to cry out and yell, he just collapsed on the spot and breathed heavily, eyes tight shut, fists clenched and teeth biting into his bottom lip so he could taste blood.

"NO!" Draco cried out before he also collapsed, Voldemort took no notice.  He was intent on making sure Harry went through as much pain as possible without dying.

Draco blinked when he came round and he felt sore all over but he sat up and took in his surroundings.  The dark, dank dungeon.  Then he spotted Voldemort torturing Harry, he tried to stop himself, but before he could he had yelled, "STOP IT!" then he felt a tug deep inside and the dungeon vanished.

_"Stay out of this!" the evil voice snapped at him as he was plunged into darkness once again._

Voldemort stopped and turned to Draco, he walked threateningly towards him.  "What did you say?"

Draco looked up at him in fear and shook his head vigorously, "Nothing sir… nothing!" _What has that thing said?_

Voldemort glared down at the boy, "I could've sworn you told me to stop torturing Potter…"

Draco thought quickly, "I was just thinking that maybe it would be better to kill him now and get it over with… you know, in case something happens and he escapes…"

Voldemort continued to stare at Draco.  "Well, if you're so keen," he grabbed Draco by the collar and dragged him up to his feet, "then you kill him!" he pushed Draco roughly forward.

Harry struggled to his feet using a stone pillar as something to lean on.  Draco straightened up and grinned at Harry so he could see those sharp teeth prominently.  "No problem…"

_"NO! Don't you dare!" Draco fought hard._

_"Try and stop me!"_

 Harry looked at Draco with wide eyes, "Draco… no…"

Draco lifted his hand and Harry flew backwards into the wall.  He tired to fight against the force holding him there, but he was too weak.

"Let's see… quick and painless or the fun way? Hmmm…" he walked towards Harry looking thoughtful.  Voldemort had sat down beside the window and was watching with interest.

"Make sure he goes through pain Malfoy.  I want to see him squirm… I want to hear him scream!"

Draco flicked his hand to the right and Harry was flung aside, skidding to a halt on the cold ground.  "I've never killed anyone before Potter, first time for everything they say." Draco walked closer and kicked Harry sharply in the ribs.  Harry cursed Draco and curled up tight, tears beginning to stream down his face from pain and torture, but he would not let them see… not give them that satisfaction.   "Bastard…" he whispered.  Draco kicked him again in response, harder.

 "I am hungry Potter, hungry for both blood and thrill… thrill of the kill."  Draco backed off slightly and lifted his hand again, Harry was lifted into the air.  Draco then began to close his hand slowly into a fist.  Harry began to cough and choke as he gasped for breath.

"Mortals… so easily tortured with lack of air.  Wonder how long you can last like this? Or could I honestly be bothered to wait?" Draco flicked his hand to the side and once again, Harry was flung through the air to land with a smack on the floor.  Harry clutched his throat and gasped desperately for air as he lay on the ground.  Blood was dripping down his face from his brow, his hands looked as if he had been in a knife fight and he had bruises all over his body.  What was the point in fighting any longer? 

Swiftly and gracefully, Draco had swooped down over Harry, his face close enough for Harry to see his features clearer than before.  His face was pure white as if he was a child playing with ghostly face paints; his eyes were darker, bordering on black with an eerie blood red colour surrounding them in a fiery ring.  Nothing sparkled in those eyes like Draco's normally did, they looked blank and hollow.  His features were sharp like his face were chiselled out of stone, but nothing attracted more attention than those two sharp, white teeth that now showed in a malevolent grin down at Harry, taunting him.

Harry didn't know what to say… he didn't think that anything would stop him.  Harry just glared and swallowed his fear.  _What's the point?_

"It won't hurt you that much… or maybe it does, I don't know, I can't remember.  Anyway, it won't hurt for long… you'll be dead before you know it!" Draco raised his eyebrows swiftly as he continued to grin.  He took his hand and wiped the blood off Harry's face and licking it slowly off to taunt him.   

Harry glared but he had gone past the stage of fear and had arrived at the stage of acceptance, accepting the fact that he had no way out, he was going to die.  He closed his eyes and turned away from Draco.  He could feel the icy coldness of Draco's skin against his own, could feel Draco getting closer.

_"Get away from him!"_

"ARGH!" Draco jumped back from Harry, hitting his head repeatedly with his fists and falling to his back on the ground.

"Stay back!" Draco hissed to the evil voice as he shook his head and stood back up.  

Voldemort had also stood up.  "What happened?"

"It's okay… he just cursed me…" Draco assured him.  "You'll pay for that Potter…" he advanced back towards Harry.

Harry raised an eyebrow, now he was confused.  Draco lifted Harry up by the throat and pinned him up against the wall but not as roughly as before, more careful not to hurt him.

"What are you playing at?" Harry spat.

Draco looked at Harry in the eyes and winked.  Harry stared, his eyes, they were shinning like normal, they were no longer their black colour and the red had disappeared.  They were Draco's eyes, his own.  They possessed that twinkle of playful malice and mischief that Harry had always known Draco to have.  "What's going on?" Harry whispered cautiously.

"Play along Harry… I'll explain later…" Draco whispered back before saying with a raised voice full of bitterness, "Think you can get away as easily as that? You can't outsmart me or overpower me! Face it Potter… you've lost!"

Harry nodded so only Draco would notice and then said in the same tone as Draco, "We'll see about that!"

Draco dipped his head forward towards Harry's neck.  Harry stiffened and pulled back to press more against the wall in fright but Draco didn't bite him, he had moved closer to Harry's ear and whispered in a low voice, "Hit me and run.  I will pretend to chase you and we can both get out of here.  Please, just trust me… I swear I will explain later!"

"Okay…" Harry whispered back.  All of this seemed very strange but he wouldn't let a potential escape idea pass.

Harry gathered up his strength to knee Draco hard in the stomach before pelting it out the door as fast as he could.

Draco swore and doubled over, clutching his stomach.  _Ah! Bloody hell Potter, I didn't want hit that hard! Shit!_

"STOP HIM!" Voldemort shrieked.

"Right on it…" Draco replied in a strained voice as he followed Harry out still hunched over a bit and hobbling slightly.  _Damn you Potter!_

*~*~*~*~*

"Harry! Wait!" Draco called as he slowed down.

Harry stopped and turned round.  "Right, now you tell me what's going on!" Harry demanded in a breathless voice.

Draco was not out of breath, "I don't know what's going on! Hermione told me to come and help you!"

"Hermione?"

"Yes, I don't know what happened but I somehow ended up in a dark place, I think I died, but I could've if I'm here now… Oh Harry I'm confused!" Draco screwed up his pale face and stamped his foot in agitation.

Voices could be heard around them.  They were after Harry and they had nowhere to hide.  They were standing in a dusty hallway with stained red carpet and walls with red paint peeling off.  There were no rooms to dodge into, only pillars to hide behind, but that wouldn't help them, they would surely search and find them… or would it help them?

"Harry, hide behind that pillar and don't move!" Draco pushed him before lying down on the ground making sounds of agony as the people, who ended up being Deatheaters, approached.

Draco looked up at them and tried to stand up, "He went that way!" he pointed down the hall with a shaking hand, "Follow him! Don't let him get away! Go now don't mind me! Quickly!" he put on a shaky, pained voice.

The Deatheaters jumped at ran down the hall in the direction Draco had pointed, shouting to each other orders.  When they had turned the corner at the end, Harry stepped out.

"Not bad!" he smiled down at Draco.

Draco jumped up.  "What d'ya mean, 'Not bad'? That was genius!" he dusted his shirt down.

"Now… how do you plan to get out of here?" Harry asked as they walked up the hallway, still keeping an eye out for any other movement.

"If worst comes to worst we jump out of a near-by window and sprint to the nearest village!" Draco kicked a lone piece of broken vase along the floor before giving it one final boot, sending it flying across the hall and getting itself stuck in the weak wall at the end.

Harry frowned, "Draco… it's daytime!"

"So?"

"Draco, that would kill you! You remember what happened down in the dungeon when Voldemort opened the shutters! You were dying!"

Draco stopped, "Harry, I don't remember a thing.  All I know is that something had taken over my body… I remember nothing when it was there! What's daytime got anything to do with it anyway?" he snapped.

"S-o… you don't know what you are?"

"Will somebody please tell me what's going on?! Everybody is keeping something from me… what is it? Why was I in that dark place? Why can't I remember a thing? Why was something controlling my body? Tell me!"  Draco grabbed Harry's shoulders and shook them.  His face was full of fear and hurt.  His eyes were searching Harry, looking for a clue.

Harry hesitated, "Don't make a big deal of this…"

"It can't be that bad…" Draco said quickly, impatient for the answer.

"I'll be blunt.  You're a vampire."

Draco stared at Harry for a second with a neutral look, not moving, before his face broke into a hurried and worried laugh, not knowing if to laugh or take Harry seriously. "That's very funny Harry! Now… what's really going on?"

"I'm one hundred percent honest here… you are a vampire.  I don't know anything about vampires so I don't know how you got back to being yourself… I'm sure that when we get back to Hogwarts, all will be explained."

Draco hadn't moved the whole time Harry was talking. His facial expression went through enough changes to make up for that.  Blank, worried, amused, confused, completely fearful and then finally, anger appeared and mixed in with the fear.

"Draco? You okay?"

"I'm… fine…" Draco's eye twitched slightly.

_He's gonna explode… Harry thought._

He did, just not as much as Harry expected.  "How the hell did this happen to me?" he shouted, "Why the hell can't I remember it? Surely I would know if a dirty great creature came along and took a bite out of me! I…I-" Draco stopped and buried his face in his hands.  Something began to tug inside him again, his soul was weakening and the evil was fighting back, he had to stay strong.  "I will ask when we get back… I don't remember a thing… perhaps they can tell me…" Draco suddenly froze and listened.

Harry listened too.  Footsteps. Running footsteps of a group of people heading their way.  They were both completely in the open, nowhere to hide at all.  They were just about to run when they saw the group of Deatheaters run round the corner and stop just in front of them, their wands were in their hands and were pointed at both boys.

No one moved for quite a while, they all remained staring at each other in silence, until Harry breathed, "Draco…" 

"Yeah?"

"RUN!!!"

Both Harry and Draco turned swiftly and ran down the hall, followed closely by the Deatheaters.  Harry turned round and saw that Draco was running at a speed that Harry had never seen any human run at.  Draco ran past Harry in a flash and all that could be seen of him was a blur of black and white.  Draco had turned a corner at the end of the hallway when Harry had only reached half way down.

Harry then heard Draco yell, "NOT THAT WAY!" and come running back, crashing into him.  They both fell to the ground and attempted to scramble back up in a state of panic but only succeeding in getting tangled up, arms and legs flailing everywhere.  Harry looked up to see that Draco had been running away from a group of men coming round the corner, Harry recognised them as werewolves.

Both of them looked at the two groups closing on each them and gave up.  Wands were pointed at them, they were trapped, no way out.  Harry and Draco closed their eyes.

_Please, let something happen.  Get us out of here! Away from here and back to Hogwarts… back with Hermione.  Please, away from here and back with Hermione… Draco thought this over and over in his head._

"Harry? Draco?" a voice said to them from a distance.

(That was sooo hard to write… doesn't look it now I read over it but… AAAARGH!!!! Humour was almost zero in this chappie cos it was meant to be serious, tell me if you thought it was ok in your reviews! Humour doesn't really make an appearance until around chappie… well, there will be some next one but not until the end.  Draco's reaction here was a little tame but his reaction later on in the story, after the spell, is explosive and Harry, Ron and Hermione are in firing range!  Hope you enjoyed it! This chappie will be my last for a while… end of year exams, ICK! Studying like crazy, wish me luck… c yas! XXX)


	13. Chapter thirteen

Chapter thirteen

(I found a song worthy of this fic! Lol, nah, my BETA found it for me and thought it fits in so scarily perfectly! Hehe! It's at the end of the next chappie so I don't clutter up the start in case you don't want to read it and it fits in better there.  Thankies for all ur reviews! Draco's Girl gave me a cookie! Yay! *munches happily* big thankies also to Loki for another great review! Enjoy this one my club of slayers!)

Draco still didn't open his eyes when he heard the voice.  He was still holding tightly onto Harry's sleeve as if it was a life line.  The voice had to be a dream; a distant note of hope in his mind that was playing a cruel trick on his senses.  His head was spinning although he could not explain why, he felt dizzy and the tugging inside him was getting stronger and more constant.  He held on.

"What the hell happened?"

Draco felt someone gently touch his shoulder.  He jumped up quickly, yelling and hissing in both fear and defence.  His eyes were ablaze, wide and fearful, his stance was that of a predator ready to attack but he froze and his face softened when he saw where he was.

It was a small room with shelves upon shelves of horrid creatures and God only knows what else in jars.  It was dark except for a few bars of gold light seeping in through the shutters.  He would've completely freaked out if he hadn't have seen three familiar faces staring at him cautiously.  He looked from one to the other slowly.  Somehow, he had managed to transport Harry and himself, back to where he was thinking of before it happened.  Draco smiled to himself as he looked around, hardly daring to believe what had just happened.  He had just disapparated away from the Deatheaters, he couldn't believe it.  He let out a small laugh that probably made him sound insane as he turned round to take in the sight of the room, as if it would disappear if he did not think of it, like a dream.

"Grab him!" Ron yelled, running forward and tackling Draco to the ground once he had turned away.

"HEY?! What's with- OUCH! Some bloody welcome this is!" Draco was trying to kick Ron off him.  _Oh, it's real alright! _Hurts too much to be a dream!__

"Ron!" Hermione snapped angrily, rising from Harry's side.  "Get off him, he's hurt already!" 

"Can't be too careful with him, he's not safe!" Ron replied.

"The only person in this room who is not safe is you Weasley, 'cause I swear, if you do not get off me in five seconds, I will kick you so hard you will hit the far wall before you can blink! One…" Draco threatened through gritted teeth so it came out in a sinister hiss through his fangs.

"Oh, you hear that? It's evil I tell you!" 

"Two…"

"I'll get off you when you prove you won't try to bite me again!"

"_Three…"_

"I don't trust you!"

"I'm warning you! Four…"

"Ron, please, get off him! He threatens you every day anyway, it's no different! He's safe and I know it!" Harry sat up.

"Why is everyone treating me like a dog with rabies of something? I am fine!"

Professor Lupin knelt down beside Draco and Ron and stared hard at him.

"What are you looking at wolf man?" Draco snapped irritably.

Lupin sighed, "He's back…"

Ron reluctantly let Draco go and went over to talk to Harry, see what action he 'unfortunately' missed.

Draco stood up and brushed down his black shirt and trousers quickly, muttering and cursing under his breath.  Hermione walked slightly cautiously towards him, not sure whether to trust him or not.  Draco had sensed her fear and turned to face her.  She stopped and stared with wide eyes.

"It's OK, I promise I won't hurt you!" he gave her a friendly smile as he held out a hand to her.

Hermione looked down at it as if it was a trick but she looked up at his face and she smiled.  It was him.

"Thank God! You did it Draco! You did it!" she jumped forward and put her arms around his neck, giving him a warm hug, although she could feel the coldness of his body against her straight away.

Draco responded and put his arms around her waist, burying his face into her hair, lapping up the heat of her body.  The mortal part of him had missed her, wanted things to be the way they were so they could be together because now, it wouldn't happen.  He felt a mixture of anger and sadness inside him over this, a slight tug on his dead, motionless heart.  Perhaps now he couldn't love now that his heart was cold, but then if he couldn't what was he feeling now? He was weak; he had lingered on the sadness and heartbreak for too long and the pulling at his soul was getting increasingly stronger until he grew fearful.

"Restrain me! For your own good! Do it n-" Draco hissed and suddenly leapt backwards holding onto his chest then his head before he sank to the ground, curled up like a beaten child.

Harry and Ron stared up in freight; Lupin had his wand out at the ready.

"What happened?" Ron asked Hermione.

"Hold him down! Hurry up with that potion Professor!" Hermione shrieked.  Lupin quickly ran over to the cauldron which was just starting to boil over the flame in the corner of the room.

"It will take at least four hours, maybe anything up to the evening! Try to get him to fight harder!" Lupin panicked as he dashed for the cauldron with the last ingredient.  If this spirit came back, they'd never get Draco back, it would disapparate away from them.

Harry and Ron quickly dived forward and grabbed Draco as Hermione began to shake him.

"Come on! Hold on there Draco please?!" she screamed.

"Hermione!" Lupin called.  "If he does come back, try a power outage spell, it might work!"

"How long will it last?"

"At least three hours… not long enough but we can try something else to render him unconscious if needed, maybe something heavy…  What? Oh come on, this is not the time to be nice here!" he added seeing the horrified looks on the children's faces at the teacher's viciousness.

"Right!" Hermione looked disturbed but remained calm and collected.  She got out her wand and ran over in her head the incantation, she was shaking. He wasn't going to get away, not now!

Draco was shaking on the ground with his white hand covering his head, grabbing the white hair as if in frustration and swearing quietly, muttering angrily to himself.

_No! please… leave me alone! Not now, please!_

_I told you that you would not win this, you foolish boy! Now you're friends will die and it will be all your fault!_

_NO! I won't let you!_

_You can't stop me, you're too weak and pathetic.  The spell is fading… and so are your chances._

_YOU EVil bast…-_

Draco groaned and propped himself up on one arm, his head still bowed and his face hidden by his long and messy white hair that fell over it like a curtain.

The three students backed away slightly, not knowing what to expect.  Hermione kept her wand fixed on him, although her hand was shaking, Harry was ready to grab Draco's arm if he was to try to attack while Ron was already holding on to his other arm, glaring hot-eyed at him.

Draco grinned under the shadow of his hair, _gain their trust… gain their trust then kill them.  They will suffer for what they have tried to do!_

"Is he… _him_?" Harry looked up at Hermione who merely shrugged in response but never taking her eyes off him.

"I'm not taking any chances!" Ron stood up and pointed his wand directly at Draco.  "He'd better be him or there will be trouble!"

"Weasley… are you going to act the hard man or are you going to help me up! Fighting this thing off is not easy!" Draco's familiar yet strained voice was very quiet.

None of them moved, they stared at each other in silence.  The only sound was of Lupin making up the potion in the background.

Harry swallowed, "I think we should help him… but stay on your guard,"

Ron stared at Harry as if he were mad but soon knelt down to haul Draco up from the ground.  It was easy, he was practically weightless, like lifting a bag of feathers.  Hermione took Draco's cold hand in hers.  Draco turned to her with eyes half opened and he collapsed onto her shoulder, she also found that he was unusually light.  She couldn't tell wither he was him or not, his eyes were closed.  She did not trust him, she sensed something evil.  Hermione tensed up and began to breathe more heavily. 

"Thanks…" he whispered into her ear soothingly, she relaxed slightly but not enough to wash her worries away.  "Or… should I be thanking you?" he added in a more threatening tone as his grip on her got tighter.

Hermione's heart missed a beat, "What?" she whispered back, fear rising.  _If this is a joke…_ I'm not laughing… I'll kill him if he's just messing around now!__

"He should be thanking you for trying to save him… I should be killing you for the same reason! I will not let you get away with this you meddling mudblood!" he hissed bitterly yet satisfactory.

Hermione screamed and tried to wriggle away from him but his grip was too strong, "GET AWAY! HARRY! RON! HELP!"

Harry and Ron sprang to save her but Draco was too quick for them.  He turned round, grabbing Hermione by one arm and her throat and jumping over their heads as they dived for him.  Draco landed behind them with a manic grin full of malice spreading over his pale face that made his fiery eyes smaller and more sinister.

"Don't even try it… none of you move, or I'll kill her quicker than you can reach me!" he sneered.

Ron looked to Harry and mocked him, "Oh… let's help him Ron… he sounds OK… just keep an eye on him… yeah right Harry!"

Lupin, who was behind Draco with the cauldron reached for his wand behind Draco's back.

"That goes for you too wolf man!" Draco said while still looking straight ahead.  "Try it and I kill the girl…"

Lupin froze, no one dared to try anything.

"What do you want D-… you creature?" Harry breathed.  He was about to call it Draco, but it wasn't.  Draco would not do this.

"I want to make you all suffer for trying to destroy me… especially this pretty little thing," he leaned down and kissed her forehead lightly before grinning at them to see their reaction.

"So… no matter what we do… you will just kill us anyway… won't you?" Harry glared.

Draco thought for a moment, "Yeah… pretty much so.  It's check mate Potter, you can't win! I suppose I shouldn't put her through this trauma… maybe I should just put her out of her misery now… eh…" he rested his head on hers and stroked her neck.

Hermione's eyes were wide with fear, she didn't know what to do, she was too scared to think.

"Don't you dare hurt her!" Ron stepped forward, Harry held out his arm to hold him back.

"Or you'll do what?" Draco sneered in a slow voice, glaring.  Ron glared back and reached into his pocket for his wand.  "Go ahead… try it.  It'll only cost her life!" Draco smiled menacingly. 

So many things happened at once it was hard to take it all in.  Ron leapt forward towards Draco, Draco jumped back and sank his teeth into Hermione's neck and she screamed in pain and fear.  Lupin took this chance to curse Draco.  

"Flipendo!" he yelled viciously.

Draco was knocked backwards away from Hermione into the wall with a load crack.  He shakily stood back up and bared his teeth at the professor.  "You'll pay for that, werewolf!" A bright, green light began to form on the palm of one of his hands.  "You will all die."

"Ut Napíca!" Harry stepped in and shouted as a yellow light like lightning shot out of his wand and straight at Draco's chest.  The green light from Draco's hand exploded and the light surrounded him.  Draco cried out loud in outrage and he shielded his eyes from the bright light.  As the light dulled down it exploded again, into millions of tiny star-like lights, and sent Draco hurtling into the wall again.  This time, he did not get back up.

Harry didn't stay where he was for long or check to see if Draco really was unconscious, he just dropped his wand and dived down to where Hermione was lying with the other two at her side.

She was holding her neck and crying with the pain as blood streamed down the side of her neck and soaking her clothes.  Her hands were scarlet with the blood, she was losing too much.

"Get her to the hospital wing now!" Lupin ordered Ron as he gave Hermione a cloth to put over the wounds.  "She'll die if she's not seen to!"

Ron put Hermione's left arm over his shoulder and hauled her up to her feet and helped her to walk out the door.  Harry also got up to go with them.

"No, Harry.  You stay here and keep an eye on it," he nodded towards Draco's motionless body lying spread out over the floor beside the wall, "and keep an eye out for any other teachers as I finish this potion."

Harry thought for a moment, "This is all too much… it's not worth it… _he's not worth this… we could just kill him now and end this."_

Lupin sighed.  "You have to remember, by doing this we are making Hermione happy, we are bringing Draco back and most importantly, we may be saving some lives.  If we get him onto our side we have a spy to find out every move of the dark side.  You can't tell me that this is not worth that."

Harry nodded.  "But he could've killed her professor… I…" Harry stopped.  Lupin knew what he was going to say.

"Don't say it, never worry.  She'll be fine.  After this day everything will be fine, almost normal."

"I hope so."

*~*~*~*

"What is going on here?"

Ron stopped, Hermione groaned.  They had just been though McGonnagal, two prefects and Peeves to get to where they were, the hospital wing corridor, and now who should stop them now but their best friend Professor Snape.  Ron was not going to let him get in the way.

"Emergency sir!" Ron said quickly trying to dodge past.  Hermione kept the cloth to her neck but of course the blood had soaked through.

"What happened?" Snape demanded.

"… er… a game of… truth or dare gone wrong… bye!" Ron tried to squeeze past.

"What is wrong with her? Surely something as bad as that couldn't be accidental.  Let me see."

_Why does he have to be so annoying? Why can't he just let us past? Ron whined to himself._

There was a sudden explosion coming from down in the dungeons, Snape turned and ran, ignoring Ron and Hermione completely now.

"Well, that was good!" Ron smiled.

"Ron… Harry and Lupin are down there with Draco… it was probably them… how's that good?" Hermione whispered.

Ron's eyes widened as he realised, "Oh shit…"

*~*~*~*

Lupin coughed and tried to waft the cloud of thick smoke away from him.  "Maybe that was a little too much venom… never was good at potions," he coughed again.

"Well, if they don't know we're down here now it's a God send!" Harry smiled as he watched out the door.  Harry thought for a moment before drawing his head back inside the room, "Why are we hiding this from everyone else? Surely they'll find out about Draco some time."

"That's not the point Harry.  Yes everyone thinks he's dead and they'll go crazy when they find out he's a vampire but it's not just that.  If they find out now, they'll get the ministry and they'll kill him thinking he's not safe.  Then that'll be our plans ruined to use him as a spy and people will be in danger and we may never get our Headmaster back! If we bring him round first, they wouldn't kill him.  It'd be like killing a student." (A/N- Yes! I haven't forgotten that poor old Proffy D is unconscious in the hospital wing! And Loki… I used your idea!)

Harry nodded and he looked out of the door again.  He swallowed when he saw a familiar and dark figure walking briskly down the corridor towards them.  He thought quickly and stepped out, closing the door firmly behind him.

"Morning Professor!" he smiled, "…er… nice weather isn't it?"

"What are you up to Potter?" Snape snarled.

"Up to? Me? Nothing sir! Nope… nothing…" Harry said quickly and shook his head.

"What was the explosion? Why is there smoke coming out of the store room?"

"What? Oh that! Well, you see I thought that we had found a potion to bring Dumbledore around again so me, Ron and Hermione are fixing it up.  You don't mind do you?"

Snape raised an eyebrow, "Are Mr Weasley and Miss Granger in there with you Potter?"

"Oh yes… we couldn't do it without Hermione!"

"So, can you please tell me how I met the two of them on their way up to the hospital wing? And what was wrong with miss Granger…"

Harry's mouth opened and closed several times but not making a sound.

"Let me in there Potter, I don't have time for your stalling," Snape pushed Harry to the side but he didn't get in the room.  Lupin opened the door and stood in the doorway.

"Snape! What a _pleasant _surprise!" he smiled.

"What are the two of you up to?" Snape was getting very angry now, the vein on his head was pulsing and his face was turning a bright scarlet colour.

"Potion making… to…er… help Dumbledore."

"And why wasn't I consulted? I am the potion master here after all."

"You-… we couldn't find you…" Lupin tried to keep a straight face.  "I'll tell you what you can do to help though… you can go and fetch me a large goblet from the kitchens… please…"

Snape glared, "I'll find out what the two of you are up to, and I swear I'll have you fired for this Lupin and you expelled Potter.  You are doing something illegal in there, I know it!" he turned round and walked off just as briskly as before.

Harry and Lupin turned and smiled at each other, ready to burst out into laughter.

*~*~*~*~*  (speeding things up now!)

"You Okay?" Harry gave Hermione a hug when she returned.

"I think so… still feel faint.  Do you have any idea what we went through to stop the nurse from finding out? And the things we had to say to get out of there?" Hermione added with disgust, scratching at the bandage around her neck.  Harry and Ron grinned at each other, they both knew Hermione hated lying to adults.  

"Did you get a cross Hermione?" Lupin asked as he poured some of the potion into a goblet.

Hermione reached into her pocket and drew out the necklace that Draco had taken off her and threw away.  She and Ron had went out to look for it knowing that a cross would be needed.  She wanted to use the cross from this, it was special.

"Take the cross off the heart, I'll keep the heart," she handed it to him.

Lupin smiled, "Like a friendship necklace… Nice touch."

Lupin left them to watch Draco while he meddled with the necklace.  First he separated the cross and the heart, by magic of course, and then he placed a small crystal on the place where the two bars of the cross met.  This is where the evil spirit would be condemned to; they could never get rid of it completely.

 Draco stirred on the ground.  Lupin quickly put the cross onto a thick silver chain and ran over to Harry, Ron and Hermione.

"OK, he needs to drink all of this, then when the spirit has retreated, we put the cross on him.  Got it?"

All three nodded.  Draco turned over lazily and opened his dark eyes.  He glared at them and made a move to attack them.  "You will regret that dearly Potter!"

"Oh shut up!" Harry raised his eyebrows.  Both boys lunged forward and pinned him to the ground.

Draco thrashed, kicked, cursed and hissed wildly at them.  He couldn't use his magic to escape either, the spell Harry had used was a power outage spell.  "Let me go! You'll regret this Potter I swear it!"

"Yeah, yeah… heard it all before," Harry sighed.

Lupin knelt down beside Draco.  Draco saw the steaming goblet.  "What's that?" he asked fearfully.

"Drink it and you'll find out," Lupin lowered the goblet to Draco's mouth.

He tried to fight out of their grip but when he knew he couldn't get out, he just closed his eyes and kept his mouth firmly shut.

"I knew this would be difficult!" Lupin straightened up again.  Draco smirked.

"Leave it to me," Ron held Draco's nose.

Draco turned to look at him with a raised eyebrow, "That doesn't work on vampires you idiot, we don't need to-"

"Now!"

Lupin took this opportunity to force the hot liquid into Draco's mouth and force him to swallow it by tilting his head backwards.

"Told you I'd make him drink it," Ron grinned in satisfaction.

After Draco had finished the potion he cried out fiercely in outrage and annoyance, but it wasn't long before he calmed down and his eyes slowly began to close.

_So much for trying to kill my friends then.__  You're the pathetic one!_

_You can't stop me! Do you honestly think that this spell will hold me back!_

_Yes… yes I do._

_Well, you have to get past me if you want to get back.  That won't be easy._

_Oh… scary… well, I'm going to get past you and live a peaceful life without you… nice knowing you anyway! Bye bye now!_

Draco twisted and tossed about in their grip, his face was full of pain yet vague determination.  His eyes were firmly shut.   Everyone waited.

"Come on Draco…" Hermione whispered.  At that point, Draco's eyes shot open as he let out a loud cry of pain.

"The cross! Now!" Hermione screamed.

Lupin reached forward and clasped the chain around Draco's neck and sealing it on with a spell.  Draco cried out and hot tears of blood streamed his face as he tensed up and began to shake.  The clear crystal on the cross began to turn a cloudy black colour then a clear sky-blue.

Hermione looked down at him and she held his hand tightly, not wanting to let go as if he would go if she did.  He looked up at her with big, shiny, silver eyes before they too began to slowly close and his body relaxed.

(Going to have to stop it there! I didn't think it would be that long! I was wanting to write a lot more but… guess not!  Exams are over! YAY!!!!!! So me= happy  J .  The fic **will** take horrific turns later I swear! Most of them die in horrible, horrible ways! But from now until Draco finds out all of his powers, it's gonna be nice-ish! Don't know if I like this chappie or not but… I have a second opinion cos my BETA will now have her comments…  am I mad doing this?)

_Nicky's verdict:_

_Things I thought were funny-_

_"What are you looking at wolf man?"_

_"A game of truth or dare gone wrong"_

_"Why does he have to be so annoying?"_

_"Oh shut up!"_

_"What's that?"_

_"Bye bye now!"_

_Things that made me laugh but weren't meant to be funny-_

_"He felt a mixture of anger and sadness inside him over this, a slight tug on his dead, motionless heart"- you know what or who I am referring to here Carla! (MEANIE I knew you'd write that!)_

_"Horrid creatures and God only knows what else in jars."- hehehehehe brain!_

_"Bite me…" sorta speaks for itself._

_Things that I take full credit for (Through inspiring the author, giving suggestions or just because I'm a meanie head!)__ (Hmmm possibly the latter nicky!)_

_"Yes… yes I do"- if you don't remember that then I'm worried!_

_Draco Malfoy… I own him… he's mine! (0_0 no! mine!)_

_As for the chapter (eventually we get there!) __in general, me likey! Just in case you've forgotten, let me remind you that if you don't use the box thing then you can rest knowing that I will kill you, painfully… probably. (0_o)_

_Well, that's me done. See ya!_

_Tricky Nicky_

_Xxx___

_PS- Well, you said you wanted a substantial review! At least I didn't just say "Eh" or anything… that woulda REALLY pissed you off! (Too right it woulda!) __My fics are not as good as this! I must steal your brain! " (You do know I'll never sleep soundly again with the thought of you sneaking in and stealing my brain! That' it! No more sleepovers!)_


	14. Chapter fourteen

Chapter fourteen

(*ahem* There was originally more swearing in this but then I remembered that this is supposed to be a PG-13… I don't know what that means in British terms… Draco once uttered a whole line full of swear words without stopping!  I took time off to read HP5 (Read it 6 days… that's good for me!)  I can't believe she killed my fave! That's just bloody typical! *cries in the corner*)

"You think he'll be okay now?"

"I doubt it.  He's been through a lot and maybe he'll just want to rest."

"Will he remember anything?"

"I hope so, yet, I also hope he won't.  I wouldn't like to wake up to remember something like that, especially with all the things he did."

"Oh, I hope he'll be alright."

"Look, don't wait here.  Come up and get something to eat.  Relax now; you've been through a lot yourself."

The sound of footsteps up a flight of steps came and then faded.

Draco wasn't totally awake or alert.  His mind was still half asleep and groggy with dizziness and tiredness.  His body had the numb kind of pain you felt when someone gives you a dead arm, he felt paralysed, unable to move or even open his eyes.  Only his mind seemed to be working, the rest of him felt, well, 'dead' was the only word to describe it.  He also had a much deeper pain that seemed to be coming from somewhere deep inside him, this made him feel afraid.  He heard the voices from a distance; they were muffled as if from behind a thick, heavy door.  Lupin and Hermione.

What were they talking about? What had happened? What had he done that was so terrible they hoped he wouldn't remember? He couldn't remember a thing.  Last thing he remembered was him standing by the lake feeling that terrible sense of hypnotising fear and then _her.  Who was she? What had she done to him? Was this what the Imperious curse was like? Yes, that had to be it._

He tried to open his eyes but they would not obey the command.  He attempted to sit up too but with the same result.  He grew fearful.  Why couldn't he move? What the hell is happening? He wanted to yell out loud, scream and scream until lungs burst, but he couldn't even do that.  He wanted Hermione; he wanted her beside him telling him that everything was okay.  But it wasn't all okay, something was wrong… horribly wrong.  He could feel it, sense it even.

Thoughts flew through his head, explanations of what was happening and each was more frightening than the last until he reached the final most awful thought.  Was he dead? It was then it hit him… he wasn't breathing; his heart wasn't thumping in his chest the way it normally would when he was this scared.  But, if he was dead, then why was he still here? How could he think these thoughts and how could he feel this pain?  It would have to be Hell…

He willed and fought with all he had to open his eyes, with great effort he eventually managed to open them to see where he was.  He couldn't have been dead, he was awake.  He heaved himself up into a sitting position, the pain increased then faded to the numb feeling again.

The room was a rather large stone room with a huge fireplace at the opposite wall from his double bed, no fire was blazing yet he did not feel cold.  His bed was coloured in purple and gold and the rugs on the stone floor matched it.  Paintings with their inhabitants missing hung up on the walls and there was one window with its shutters locked tightly over it, making only the slightest bit of late afternoon light seep through.  A tall, dusty mirror sat in one corner and a golden chandelier hung neatly from the ceiling.  The purple curtains around his bed were not closed over; he reached for a small clock which sat on a wooden bedside cabinet just beside him.  It flashed '17:46'

He sat up properly and stretched, the pain was ebbing away slowly.  _Perhaps it was just stiffness_, he thought.  He went to yawn but no air went in or out.  The panic returned like a huge lead weight being dropped on him.  He put his hand to his chest but no pounding heart met it.  Instead his hand met something cold and small.  He looked at it in his hand and saw a small and familiar cross hanging around his neck from his own thick chain.  It had black smoke swirling around in the crystal but he did not look at it for long. He looked down and his eyes widened at the sight of his hand.  

It was deathly pale, practically white.  He turned both of them over again and again in hope that it was just an illusion but it was real.  His fingers were longer and thinner, very spider-like in their eerie movement.  His nails were shiny and clear almost like glass.  They were never like this before, were they? He swore then sighed softly to himself before rubbing his face.  His features were sharper and more defined.  His vision in the dark was very clear.  He could see every last detail of the room in this darkness as if it was in daylight.

Draco stood up, holding onto a bedpost for support as his dizziness came back swiftly.  He walked shakily towards the mirror but stopped before he got there as he felt something burn his face.  He turned to see a small ray of light was hitting his face.  It burned slightly at first but it soon grew unbearable.  He jumped away quickly but he kept his eye on the window.  Without thinking, he approached the window and opened the shutters.  He didn't know why but he was curious to see what would happen, he regretted it.

The light hit him like a thousand sharp and hot knives, it hurt his eyes, his skin felt as if it was burning as he stood there.  He yelled in pain and dived back over to the bed, hiding under the covers like he used to as a scared child.  His eyes watered, a red sea of tears forming in his eyes.  He would not cry over this, he did not allow himself to.  Now he realised what had happened to him but he did not want to believe it.  He wouldn't believe it...

*~*~*~*

"Maybe we should go down and check on him…" Hermione was being very twitchy and impatient.

"Relax.  He's not going anywhere, it's daytime!" Ron shrugged before he made a reach for the last potato.

Harry got there first and stole it, "Yeah, he'll be fine.  I'm sure of it." He took a bite out of the potato and grinned at Ron.  Ron glared.

"Do you think he'll be able to bring Professor Dumbledore back round?" Hermione pushed a couple of peas around her plate.

"If he can't no one can.  He did it!" Harry replied.

"I'll just be glad when everything gets back to some kind of normality!" Hermione laughed, she took the last chicken leg as Ron was reaching for it.  He hit his head off the table.

"Same here," Harry nodded.  "It will be strange.  You know, one of us being the living dead and all that.  Hey, this could get funny! Uncle Vernon let me do what I wanted, sort of; when he found out that my godfather was a 'mass murderer'.  What will he do if I told him I had a vampire for a friend! Dudley will wet himself! I can see it now!" Harry's face went blank in thought.  "Maybe I should invite Draco over when Dudley has his friends over for a party… yeah… Big D won't be so big then…"

"Once you are quite finished plotting the total humiliation of your cousin, I'd like to go and see if Draco is awake yet," Hermione laughed as she stood up.  "In case he gets scared or something."

"Of what? The dark?" Ron sniggered. 

"Very funny!" Hermione rolled her eyes, "He might be awake and waiting, bored or something."

"He can amuse himself.  I'm sure he's happy enough down there," Harry nodded.

*~*~*~*

In fact, Draco was feeling the total opposite.  As Hermione found out when she walked into his chamber in the South tower.

She knocked first.  "Draco? You awake yet?" she asked.  No answer.  She opened the door.

Draco was sitting on the edge of his bed, staring at the unlit fireplace unblinking and not moving.

"Oh good, you're awake." Draco didn't look up.  Hermione tried to smile but there was something about him that prevented her.  There was a fearful and weird atmosphere surrounding him.  Her first impression was that the spell hadn't worked but he was wearing the cross and it wasn't burning him so it must've worked.  Then what was wrong?

She approached cautiously.  "Are you okay?" she sat down beside him and put her hand on his shoulder.

Draco twitched and shrugged her off, standing up and staring down at her with a mixture of fear and emotional pain.  He still said nothing.

"What's wrong? Are you scared of me?" she looked hurt.

Draco seemed to weaken.  His face broke into a softer look and he closed his eyes with a sigh.  "No…" his voice was barely above a whisper, "I'm scared of myself." He looked down at his hands and flexed them.

It then hit Hermione that he had not remembered anything and he had just found out that he was a vampire, the hard way.

Hermione shook her head, "Oh Draco," she stood up and made a move to hug him but he climbed over the bed away from her.

"Get away from me!" he hissed.

"What? Why are you avoiding me? I went through a lot to bring you back from that horrible place.  We all went through Hell to get rid of that evil thing that took over you and this is how you thank me?"

"Why? Why did you bring me back to this?" he yelled in anger, throwing his arms in the air and gesturing to himself, "Why the hell did you bring me back to this fucking curse? I have nothing to thank you for!" Draco was shouting over the bed at her, glaring and trembling.  His pale and sharp featured face looked more sinister than it ever had with his rage.  Hermione had never seen him this enraged.  She was not going to stand there and let him act this way towards her after what they had been through for him.

"I thought you'd be happy to be away from that place! To give you another chance but oh no, you're not grateful at all! I should have just left you there to suffer if I had of known that this is how you'd react! I should have just let that evil spirit stay in charge of you and let it make you hurt and kill more people than it did before I saved you! I talked to you when you were trapped in that place and you seemed very keen on the idea so don't you try to say it's my fault!" Hermione was getting just as enraged, "You don't want to stay here like this?  Fine, then take that cross off! Go on! End this now! Take it off and return to the way you were if it will make you happier! Let it kill me!" She was shouting just as ferociously. 

Draco's expression stayed hard and emotionless as he stared at the furious girl.  "How would you feel in my position? Would you be all calm and thankful? I am anything but that Hermione… How can you expect me to be that towards anyone right now? I don't care what I said in that place, I can't remember being there… Shit, I can't remember anything! But it was surely better there than it is here now! You all should have just killed it! Ended my suffering for good rather than bringing me back to this!" he kicked over the bedside cabinet just beside him.  It crashed to the wall with such a force, it shattered.  The clock smashed on the ground and an ornamental dragon took flight and refuge on the chandelier, roaring and breathing flames at Draco angrily.

Hermione jumped but her rage stopped her from being afraid of him, she had too much to get off her chest.  "How about I kill you now? Would that make you happy? WOULD IT?"

Draco walked round the bed to stand in front of her.  He stood close to her and looked her in the eye, invisible sparks flying in between them.  "Go on then! Kill me now! It'll satisfy us both!" he was still shouting as if he was no closer to her than a few seconds ago.   Hermione winced but did not move from where she was standing.  She was feeling rage but at the same time disappointment and sadness, this was not how she wanted it to be.

When Hermione did not answer or move, it infuriated Draco further.  "Well…" he grabbed her and pinned her up against the wall, "GO ON THEN… OR DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING ELSE YOU WANT TO TELL ME? LIKE ME BECOMING A PREFORMING MONKEY IN A PINK TUTU DURING THE FULL MOON… HUH?"  He shook her.

Now she was scared of him.  He had never been this angry when she was around but he was scary.  There was a glint of madness in his wide eyes, his teeth were bared in anger so his fangs just added to the effect and he was shaking.  His eyes were blazing in fury; the faint shimmer in them indicated rage.

She replied shakily but determinedly and still slightly furious with him.  "It won't satisfy me! I helped to bring you back for more than saving you… I wanted _you_ back! I wanted the Draco I had known to be back with me.  I wanted to be able to have him in my arms and love him! Yes, you heard me… I loved you! But you are not the Draco I had wanted back! You are the ungrateful, ill-tempered and huffy little bastard I knew from first year! I don't know why I even bothered to save you!"

  She made an attempt to slap him but Draco's reflexes were quicker, he had pushed her to her left quicker than she could raise her hand.  Hermione screamed as she slid onto the rug and hit into the mirror that was standing beside the wall, it fell and shattered with a loud crash just to her right side, inches from her body.  She lay there unmoving and didn't attempt to get back up; instead, sobs could be heard from under her arm where she had buried her face in fear.  She was stunned at what had just happened, terrified now of Draco she would not dare to face him again.  She sobbed harder at the fact that he would do that to her, especially after all she had done to save him.

Draco stood there, completely shocked at his own actions.  He had not meant to hurt her… he did not intent to throw her but his anger had obviously taken control of him.  He stood and continued to face the wall, not turning round, not even to see if Hermione was okay after he heard the mirror crash.  He was shaking badly and the anger had drained out of him as quickly as it had erupted, he now felt scared of himself again and he felt even worse for attacking Hermione the way he had.  He thought about what she had said and he just felt worse, guilt drowning out the anger that was left boiling inside him.  She was only trying to help, she was thinking of him when no one else would've given him a second thought.  She had went through so much to bring him back in hope that he would be happy… or rather so that they would be happy together.  It was all sinking in.

Draco turned and closed his eyes, putting his head in his hands he slid down the wall to sit on the floor.  He felt tears prick the backs of his eyes and as much as he fought them… they fell down his face and onto the ground leaving a stain of blood.  What had he done? What had he become?

Hermione finally sat up and looked at Draco, blood oozing out from her lip and from just above her eye.  She saw Draco curled up against the wall to her right, just over the shattered mirror.  He looked like a small child that had just received a severe telling off; she saw that a drop of weak blood dropped from his face onto the floor from under his arm.  Was he feeling the same way she did?

Draco turned his head to look at her at that moment as if he had read her thoughts.  His white face was streaked with dried blood from his tears but as soon as he saw her watching him, he rubbed them furiously away, trying to conceal them.  She had never known Draco to cry, he must've been very scared.  Draco did not cry.__

_I'm sorry… a pathetic whimper of a voice came into Hermione's head.  She gasped and jumped yet continued to stare at Draco.  Was it him? Vampires could pass on thoughts to others after all… did he know that though? __I'm so sorry…I know that's not enough after what I have done but… it's all I can think of to say… I am grateful for what you have done for me… I'm just so scared, please… help me… He closed his eyes and turned away.  __I understand if you never want to see me again… you can go now and I will not bother you again…_

Hermione was convinced that it was him.  She forgot all of her anger and began to feel sorry for him.  She didn't know what he was going through but she knew it must be the scariest, most horrible thing for him.  She gingerly crawled over the mirror and sat beside him, putting her arms around him.  "It's okay…" that's all she could think of to say to him.  

Draco sighed and let her hug him; it comforted him slightly to know that someone cared for him, even if no one else will now that he was no longer human.  "I hate this… why did this happen?"

Hermione hesitated, "I don't know," she lied although she knew fine rightly why this was done to him.  Harry had explained it all to her after they had left Draco in this chamber.  The truth about Voldemort would only scare him more, if that were even possible.

"I heard you and wolf man talking earlier… you were hoping I'd forget because of the things I had done… what did I do?" he looked over at her.

Hermione fixed her cloak so it covered the bite marks on her neck, knowing that he had tried to kill her would only drive him further into madness.  "It wasn't you, you didn't know you were doing it," was all she said to him.

"Did I kill anyone?" he whispered, dreading the answer.

"No, but it did make you attack people."

"Attack who? Did I hurt anyone?"

"Well, Dumbledore for one…"

"WHAT?!" Draco yelled as he jumped up out of her embrace.  The look on his face was almost comical.

"Well, it attacked Dumbledore… and no one can bring him round.  Only you can!"

Draco was silent for a while before he laughed shortly and ran a hand through his hair, "Well… this is just great isn't it? I'm the only one who can bring him round… and I don't remember a thing…" he laughed again. "This just keeps getting better and better…" he smiled sarcastically.

Hermione groaned loudly, "Great! Just… great!" she hit the floor with her fist.  "Could you at least try? I know you don't know what you did but… please try!"

"Are you bloody mad woman? If you let me loose on the old guy when he's unconscious and with me only just assuming what I did to him… I'd kill him!"

"We'll be there to help…" she lied, how could they help?

"I won't, I can't! And nothing that you do or say will change that!" he folded his arms determinedly, "I'm sorry but I'm afraid I might kill him and then it'll be Draco back in the bad books for trying to help… not that I'll already be there seeing as I'm a mad horrible vampire!"

Hermione smiled for the first time in a while as she stood up and walked over to him, "You are not horrible… mad, yes… but not horrible!" she reached up and gave him a kiss on his cold lips.  Draco blinked and didn't know which was more shocking; the feeling of warmth coming off her onto his cold body or the fact that she voluntarily kissed him.  "Please try… they can't blame you for trying to fix this." She gave him 'that look'.  He hated that, he always found it hard to refuse when girls did this… it wasn't fair!

Draco groaned, "Alright! But if I mess up and the old guy gets turned into mush and everyone chases me with torches and pitchforks… I will come back to haunt you for the rest of your life!"

*~*~*~*

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN THEY'RE GONE?"

"I-I mean… they've… well… gone… not here… escaped…"

Voldemort took a deep breath to calm himself, "How… could they… have gotten away?" he breathed.  "I was so close!"

"They both just… disappeared into thin air… apparated."

"If Potter could apparate, do you not think he would've done it while I was torturing him? He can't apparate! Only Malfoy could-" he stopped.  _Malfoy._

The Death Eater swallowed, "M-master?"

"But… he was on… he was… how?" Voldemort was confused.  "What exactly happened?"

"Well, we trapped them both, Potter and Malfoy, and then they just vanished."

"Was Malfoy… aiding Potter or hindering?"

"Aiding… they seemed to be on rather good terms with each other…"

Voldemort cracked.  He turned round swiftly and thundered, "DONATO! DARIO! RAVEN! DOWN HERE…**NOW**!!!"

Three much shaken vampires stumbled down the stairs in a matter of seconds.  Dario was in such a panicked state, he tripped over on the last step, making him fall straight into the other two, resulting in a pile up at the bottom of the stone steps and a lot of complaining.

"OUCH! Damn you Dari! You great klutz!"

"I'm sorry!"

"HEY! Watch the eyes mate! You're elbowing them! I was sorta planning on using them you know!"

"I'm sorry!"

"OWE! Bloody hell Don! Watch those teeth of yours!"

A muffled response, "I can't help it! _Someone _is sitting on my head!"

"I'M SORRY GOD DAMNIT!"

"Ahem… " Silence, "once you are quite finished, I'd like a word.  Up, all of you!"

The three vampires untangled themselves with great effort and stood up straight in front of their master, all dreading what was to come, he did not look happy.

_What did we do now? Donato's voice filled the heads of the other two._

_Must be bad… look at the colour of his face! Give a beetroot a run for its money… and he's normally as pale as we are! Dario replied, his eyes scanning Voldemort's face._

"Now," their master began, "I want to ask you all something and it is very important." His tone of voice was unusually calm; it unnerved the three of them.  "What exactly happens when you turn someone into one of you?" he stalked over to a large armchair in front of a long wooden table and he stared at the three powerful creatures tremble in front of him over arched fingers.

Their eyes widened, this was a totally unexpected question.  None spoke for a while before Dario spoke up.  "Can I ask why you want to know sir?" he asked timidly from under his long black and white fringe.

"Why?" he laughed softly, "I'LL TELL YOU WHY!"  He thundered, standing up and thumping his fist off the table so they heard the legs beneath it groan in protest.  The three of them jumped and hopped backwards in alarm before Dario and Raven hid behind Donato automatically in fear.  "SOMETHING HAS GONE WRONG! MALFOY HAS BETRAYED US ONCE AGAIN AND THAT'S NOT RIGHT! HE SHOULD BE FOREVER AT MY SIDE! HE HAS STARTED HELPING POTTER AGAIN AND HELPED HIM GET AWAY FROM ME; I WILL NOT STAND FOR THAT! EXPLAIN!" None of them moved or spoke, none of them dared until Voldemort yelled again, "WELL?!"

Donato opened and closed his mouth several times but not being able to produce a sound until he eventually managed to stammer, "I-I-I… I don't k-know ss-sir…" he shook his head as he stared at the ground.  "P-perhaps the s-spirit wasn't strong e-enough…"

"Spirit?" Voldemort sat back down into his seat again.

"Yes.  That's what happens apparently… that's why you turn evil when you become a vampire… but then again… it should never be scared away no matter how weak…" Donato was more confident but now as confused.

A small mousy voice could be heard in his head, _uh-oh… it was Raven._

_'Uh-oh' what? Now's not a good time for 'uh-oh'! Dario's voice followed._

_What's up Raven? Donato asked, almost not wanting to hear._

_It's my fault! I didn't complete the ritual! I forgot all about it! I've never done it before and… oh God, I'm in so much trouble! She sounded frantic._

_What do we tell him? Dario asked the two others._

_Do we tell him about the ritual? Donato thought this to himself more than to the others._

_NO! He'll kill me!_

_We have to tell him something! _

"Hmmm, yes I heard of that. The soul being replaced once life has been drained, the spirit settling once the blood is taken back… Raven, you are the one who bit him… what happened?"

Raven swallowed, "Nothing… I mean the usual stuff…"

Voldemort stared into the girl's lime green and red eyes and glared in silence for a moment, "You are lying to me girl!" he hissed, "I can tell by your eyes… what did you do?" he had now stood up and had begun to walk over to her.

Once again she took refuge behind Donato and Dario.  "I-I-I'm s-s-sorry! I-I forgot about the last part! I-I-" she had ran out of things to say.

"What do you mean you forgot the last part?" he moved closer, rage etched on every part of his face and posture.

"I… I… forgot, then I didn't think it would matter that much because he seemed fine…" she quickly answered, moving further away, dragging the two boys with her who both seemed intent on getting out of Voldemort's firing range.

Voldemort snarled, "You thought it wouldn't matter?" he got out his wand and sent the two boys flying to either side so he could clearly see the terrified girl.  "And you call yourself a vampire? OUT!" he added to the boys and pointed at the door.  They didn't need telling twice, they were practically tripping up the stairs to get out quick enough, in case he had second thoughts.  The Death Eaters that were standing in the room watched them scarper, wishing that they were leaving too.

Red streaks appeared down Raven's face along with tears of thick blood.  She continued to back away from her raging master but finally backed into the cold stone wall, no escape, she couldn't concentrate enough to disapparate she was that scared.

"You have failed me Raven. You failed to do what I asked, resulting in me losing the chance to finally get my hands on Potter! I will not stand for that! Unfortunately for you I am not in a good mood right now!" he grabbed her by the collar and threw her into the centre of the room.  She lay there in fear of him, shaking and sobbing.  

Voldemort didn't speak to her again, he opened the shutters letting in the strong mid- morning light and walked out, not thinking twice about her screams or pleads for help and forgiveness.

He beckoned to the Death Eaters to follow him and he shut the door behind them.  All of them pushed past the two boys who were horrified at hearing their friend's screaming and crying and listening as it died away into silence once again.

Dario and Donato winced and stared at each other, silently agreeing never to get on the wrong side of their master.

(Any good? I had to get rid of her… she started to annoy  me when I was trying to come up with an ending, which I have decided on and I am not allowed to change! Nicky gets to hit me if I do and I don't want that! This was originally a HELL of a lot shorter but I decided to add on that end part with Voldie… Nicky complained it was too short without it! She can't have her say this time cos she is in Lanzarote… on a beach somewhere flirting with boys I bet… lucky! It's raining here… look, before I go insane, just read the song I decided to use… C yas!)

**Bring me to Life- Evanescence ( I love Evanescence!)**

How can you see into my eyes like open doors?

Leading you down into my core where I've become so numb?

Without a soul;

My spirit's sleeping somewhere cold,

Until you find it there and lead it back home.

(Wake me up)

Wake me up inside

(I can't wake up)

Wake me up inside

(Save me)

Call my name and save me from the dark.

(Wake me up)

Bid my blood to run

(I can't wake up)

Before I come undone

(Save me)

Save me from the nothing I've become.

Now that I know what I'm without 

You can't just leave me.

Breathe into me and make me real.

Bring me to life.

[Chorus]

Bring me to life.

I've been living a lie, there's nothing inside.

Bring me to life.

Frozen inside without your touch, without your love, darling.

Only you are the life among the dead.

All of this time I can't believe I couldn't see

Kept in the dark but you were there in front of me

I've been sleeping a thousand years it seems

Got to open my eyes to everything 

Without a thought without a voice without a soul

Don't let me die here there must be something more.

Bring me to life.


	15. Chapter Fifteen

Chapter fifteen

(Sorry it's a little late people but firstly I was on hols in Portugal for 2 weeks, then the evil teachers gave us summer work which I had to complete then I got that evil MSBlaster worm that prevented my net usage! Anyway, thanks soooo much to those who reviewed, you have no idea how happy I was to see I had 4 reviews when I checked my e-mails in Faro!)

"Awake!" he put out a hand towards Dumbledore.

Nothing

"Arise!"

Still nothing.

"LIVE!" he put out both hands and shook them in irritation.  Once again nothing happened.

"I give up!" he threw his arms in the air and turned to Harry, Ron, Hermione, Lupin and Madam Pomfrey- who was still looking shocked and terrified at seeing Draco standing there in front of her after seeing him dead not long before.  "I have tried non-stop for half an hour and I haven't managed so much as a spark of magic never mind bring the old guy around! Are you sure I can do magic?"

"Oh yeah… you certainly can! How can we forget that you can when you tried to kill us with it?" Ron was still in a bitter mood towards Draco after all that had happened.

Draco glared, "I said I was sorry… and that's a gift considering I didn't mean to do any of it!"

Lupin stood up and sighed, putting a hand through his floppy, greying hair.  "You have to concentrate more.  Just, try again."

"Concentrate? How can I concentrate when my mind is still trying to process the fact that I'm dead!" Draco snapped back, turning away towards the door.  "I give up…" he sighed, meaning it this time, he rarely admitted defeat and it hurt him.

"Please try again, you can do it! Just concentrate more!" Hermione called after him but he put his pale hands up to his now slightly pointed ears to show that he was not listening.  Hermione sighed deeply in agitation and sat back down again but Harry was not letting him get away… not while Dumbledore was like this, the one wizard his arch enemy feared most.

Harry ran after him and grabbed his arm, "Malfoy stop!" he said as Draco turned to face him.  "You can't just leave him like this!"

"I can't help him! I don't know what I did and I can't use magic… I have lost my wand and I cannot use this so called 'magic' that I am supposed to have! Why can't you help him anyway? I know about as much as you do!" Draco didn't move, not even trying to get out of Harry's grip.

Harry went silent but Lupin replied, "We have looked up his symptoms in every spell book, including dark magic books.  Every time we came across something, the reversal charm stated would not work.  It's obviously only something your kind can do… so only you can undo it."

Harry had to feel sorry for Draco right now.  He had just had one of the biggest shocks of his life finding out he was a vampire then to suddenly have the knowledge of the terrible things he had done on top of all of this pressure that was now being placed on him… it was not something Harry would've wanted to go through.  It would've been too much and anyone would've cracked but Draco was doing quite well in hiding his stress… well, after he let it all out on Hermione of course!  The only way Harry had any indication that Draco was feeling the pressure, was his eyes.  They reflected his feelings now, his soul was showing.

Draco collapsed onto the doorway and hit is head off the door frame.  "Give me a break…" he whispered, almost whimpered.

"Professor, I think he needs some time to take this in…" Harry agreed.  Draco smiled at Harry as thanks.

Lupin thought for a moment, and then an idea struck him.  It was stretching it a little but it may work, and he'd have to keep his meaning of what he was about to do a secret from Draco.  "Fine." He sat back and sighed, "I guess you're just too weak and pathetic to take any of this on… ah well, I should've known from a Malfoy.  Your father was the same."  Hermione and Ron shot him a look of disbelief but they caught his eye and nodded slightly with small smiles creeping up their faces.  They both knew that Draco hated being put down.

Draco turned round sharply and glared so his eyes were now dangerous slits, "What was that?" he hissed.

"Yeah, Malfoy… I've always known you to be a pathetic little worm but… this just shows it… you're just a selfish little bastard!" Ron added, he seemed to be having a lot of fun… one could argue maybe too much fun!

Harry soon caught he drift too, "Yeah… come to think of it you are being kind of selfish… You did this to him, he is lying here possibly on the brink of death, and you want to just leave him here so you can rest? Come on now Malfoy that is low!"

Draco's teeth were bared in anger and his fists were clenched, he did not need this on top of everything else. "Do you lot have any idea what I am going through here? Do you lot have any idea what this much pressure feels like? Or is that too much for you to think about? To think that I can actually feel the strain, just because I am not alive!" he was getting angry now… just a little further.

Ron got up to walk out, "Maybe we should-"

"I'm not finished with you yet! You stay there and take that remark back!"

"Or you'll what? Curse me with invisible spells?" Ron laughed, he was loving it.  "Pathetic! My little finger has more magic than you right now! Pathetic…"

"TAKE THAT BACK!" he pointed his finger at Ron threateningly, just as white sparks flew out suddenly and hit Ron straight in the chest, lifting him off his feet and hurling him into a tray-full of metal utensils.  Groaning and pained swearing emerged soon after the shock had settled in.

Draco was shaking.  His eyes widened and he stared down at a shaking hand, white sparks were shocking from them still, like electricity.  "Sweet…" he whispered, not even caring that he had sent Ron flying across the room, inflicting pain.

Harry, Hermione and Madam Pomfrey ran over to aid Ron.  Lupin would've, except he wanted to have a word with Draco.  "Now, see? You can… what were you thinking as you cast that spell?"

Draco eventually looked up from his hands, "… er… urge to kill rising, must hurt Weasley… nothing new really…"

"Well, you see, you have to concentrate on what you want to happen and it will… you just need practice.  It's just like when you apparated into the potions room… you had to concentrate." Lupin laughed and patted Draco on the shoulder before walking over to help a swearing and seriously pissed off Ron.

"Don't think I'm letting you off with that one! It's only lent to you!" he threatened.  Draco laughed.

"Don't make me get angry again Weasley…" he grinned as he waved a finger at him.

*~*~*~*

Approximately an hour later, they were all sitting up in Dumbledore's office, explaining the events of the past few days to their still dazed headmaster.

"And then… he woke you up…" Harry breathed, settling back into his chair further.  He had just retold the whole story, well, what he knew.  Hermione and Ron were able to help from their experiences (Hermione leaving out Draco's outburst in the chamber) but Draco remained completely silent, even when spoken to.

"Haven't you anything to say young Malfoy? Perhaps what you went through?" Dumbledore asked in his soft voice.  He seemed to have forgiven Draco after hearing what the other three had to say.

Draco shook his head and whispered, "I remember nothing other than from when I woke up in the chamber… did I really do all that?" he asked.

"Seems so," Dumbledore sat back slightly, still surveying the pale boy in front of him.  "And Voldemort- (Ron winced. "Grow up Ron!" Hermione snapped in a bored tone.)- said that he did this to him so he could get to you? That was a very clever move, devious and pure evil yes, but clever." He looked up at Harry.

"Professor Lupin suggested we use Draco as a spy… seeing as Voldemort doesn't know about his… condition." Harry said and had to think of how to put it.

"Yes, I heard that.  I think it will work very well.  The Order is looking for information and mister Malfoy here seems to be out ticket to that information we need.  About his next moves." Dumbledore's eyes sparkled.

"Is that all I am to you people now? Is that all I'm worth?" Draco suddenly stood up and snapped.  Everyone stared; he closed his eyes and sighed.  "Sorry… I'm just… I'm just so edgy… it's… it's all too much…"

An awkward silence followed.  "Can I have a word with Malfoy in private for a minute please," Dumbledore stood up and ushered the other three out of his office.

"Of course sir," they said in turn as they walked out.  Hermione looked at Draco before she left; he looked so helpless, so lost.

Dumbledore closed the door and turned around again to sit opposite Draco, without a word.  They sat in silence listening to the clock tick and Fawkes preen himself for a few minutes that seemed to hang around for an age until, "Care to share your feelings Draco?"

Draco sighed after more silence, "I don't want to… I never tell people my feelings, it makes me feel like a book that can be read and all my secrets found out."

"It will make you feel better to get it off your chest," Dumbledore took off his glasses and gave them a quick wipe with a purple handkerchief.

Draco thought for a while.  What were his feelings? It was a mixture of everything from fear to excitement.  "I don't know what I feel.  Shock probably being the biggest though… and fear, I'm scared of myself." He admitted.

Dumbledore nodded, "Yes, I'm sure it is quite a shock for you.  It was a shock for me too and I'm sure that's only a fraction of what you're feeling.  But you will adjust, it will become easier.  You just have to remember not to look back and think of what could've been, there is no changing what has happened.  Thinking that will only weaken you further and you will eventually go mad.  Never think those dreaded words, 'what if', they will only haunt and hurt you."

Draco nodded slightly.  He knew Dumbledore was right; he would just have to accept it for there was no way to change it.  "What will happen to me now?"

"Well, the whole school thinks you are dead.  We had better reveal you to them; they may be in danger too if there are other vampires out there.  They have to know."

Draco's head jerked up and his eyes widened, "No, you can't tell them about me! I'll be kicked out… shunned… rejected by all!  I'll only come out after curfew, please don't tell them about me! They can know the vampire threat without me! You can just say they killed me-"

Dumbledore raised a hand to calm the panicked boy with a smile, "You remind me of another young boy over twenty years ago who made the same speech to me as you just have.  Young Remus Lupin did not want anyone to know about his werewolf condition for the same reasons as you have given me.  I did not tell anyone about him and I regret it.  People grew suspicious and they were in danger of not knowing that a werewolf was walking among them.  It is better they know about you Draco."

"But I won't hurt anyone!" Draco was getting frantic.

"I know you won't but you must understand, they will look to you to protect them from other vampires, you will not be shunned, you will be sought after for help.  It is best they know that there is a vampire lurking around the school anyway.  Surely you wouldn't like that sort of information kept from you.  Besides, you wouldn't want everyone to think you were dead now would you, and then maybe even see you walk around the grounds at night? You understand?"

Draco knew he wasn't going to win this fight so he merely nodded in defeat.  Another defeat in less than an hour… what was happening to him?

"Good.  Now I suggest you get something to eat quickly and go have some rest.  I will arrange for something to be made up for you and have it sent to your chamber."

Draco nodded again in silence before standing up and stroking Fawkes as he walked out.  _I suppose I can't live in shadow forever…_  Fawkes rubbed his head against Draco's hand, almost purring like a satisfied cat.

*~*~*~*

He didn't sleep when he lay down on his bed in his own dark chamber.  How could he when he had so much to think about and the fact that he had just woken up a few hours ago… that was a reason too.  He sat on the edge of his bed playing with his hands and kicking the tassel of the rug as a golden goblet appeared in front of him.  At first he wrinkled up his nose, knowing what it was straight away but then the smell hit him and the sick feeling in his stomach disappeared only to be replaced by hunger.  His vampire senses and instincts took over as the strong smell of blood came over him, he needed it now, wanted it more than ever.  He took the goblet in a spider-like hand and lifted it to his lips, the first drop fell onto his cold lips and warmed him for an instant as he licked it off.  Soon he had downed the whole goblet, the warm sensation of fresh blood filled him, warmed the coldness of his body quickly.  After he swallowed the last drop, he felt truly like the undead, a creature of the night… and he liked it, for the first time he had accepted it.

This feeling died away as soon as he heard a bell ring around the building, the emergency assembly ring.  Draco groaned in depression.  _Well, better go now and get this over with… wonder if the forest is a nice place to stay?_

He concentrated on the Great Hall like Lupin had told him to and he felt a rushing of wind before hearing the loud conversations of students as they entered the hall.  Draco opened his eyes and found himself sitting on one of the rafters, camouflaged against the dull sky above in his dark, now tattered clothes.  No one would notice him up there; people rarely looked at the charmed ceiling coming up to the end of the year as the first years began to loose interest.  _Not a care in the world… I can't remember that… _he thought bitterly as he watched the chattering, laughing students file in.

Once everyone had settled down they went on to talk about what they thought this assembly was for, Draco managed to catch some of the conversations with his sensitive hearing, 

"I bet this is about Potter again! Maybe this time-"

"Wonder who's dead now?"

"It's about Dumbledore… DUH!"

"It had better be good, my hair is still wet and it'll frizz up now! I hope-"

"More bad news I suspect, I-"

"-the slytherin boy that was killed-"

Draco stopped listening, and just in time.  Dumbledore had entered and cleared his throat for silence, the hall gradually fell into complete silence and heads turned to face the headmaster.  All surprised to see him, some happy but others (guess who?) were not so happy to see him alive and well.

"It's good to be back!" he began, holding out his hands as if he could hug them all.  "That was a bit of a scare and I'm sure you're all wondering what happened to me and that is why I have called you all here tonight.  Night time for a reason."

He watched as everyone turned and began to talk in low whispers to each other with confused expressions as Dumbledore walked on up to the teacher's table to take his usual seat.  He waited in patience for them to settle down again.  "We now have a very dire situation that puts you all in danger at night.  I myself succumbed to the wrath of the creatures I am speaking of and my worst fear would be one of you being attacked by them… unfortunately my worst fear has already come true." More whispering followed, this time more fearful and panicked.  What creatures? What had happened?  "I am talking, of course, of a young Draco Malfoy." Dumbledore continued.  Many students were now more fearful, they had all heard of 'what had happened' to Draco, and now Dumbledore was saying whatever it was that did it to him is still out there.  

Draco swallowed as Dumbledore went on to explain.  "It is not what you think.  Draco Malfoy is not dead, he was attacked by the creatures-"

"Oh for the love of God just tell them before I go insane!" Draco suddenly burst out in a fit of anxiety and jumped up to his feet on the rafter.  Some people gasped in shock at hearing his voice and turned their heads to the source.  Draco looked down at them, he would tell them straight, none of this beating around the bush thing Dumbledore always did.  "Or maybe I will… yes.  I will be the one to warn you because I am the one they attacked! And I in turn apparently attacked Dumbledore!" Everyone had stopped talking, concentrating on Draco.  Some didn't seem to believe that it was him.  "I am not talking of anything human! I am talking about vampires! Evil, bloodsucking little bastards that lurk in the shadows and wait to-"

"Draco!" Dumbledore had stood up and his attempt to silence Draco worked.  Draco stopped and heaved a deep yet breathless sigh as he floated down like a feather from the rafter.  Students continued to stare, a lot of the younger girls screamed when they saw him properly in the light and up close.

"Just thought I'd be the one to tell them… certainly made an impact anyway huh?" he grinned at the stunned silence around him, not caring that they stared at him with fear, he rather enjoyed it.  He turned to a first year Ravenclaw girl sitting just beside where he had landed, "Don't worry, I won't bite… probably." The girl screamed as she saw his fangs and moved as far away from him as she could, pushing the rest of the row along with her.  Draco laughed, yep he was going to enjoy this actually.

Dumbledore cleared his throat once again, "Draco, once you have quite finished terrifying the students… I will continue." The others teachers at the table hadn't uttered a word since the start of the meeting, they were all either too shocked or in disbelief.

"Carry on…" Draco shrugged and stood not moving from that spot other than rocking back and forth on his feet, staring at Dumbledore and the other teachers with a smile, somehow he felt better now that everyone knew… strangely.  He had always enjoyed being the centre of attention… and now he most certainly was, all eyes were on him.

"As Draco has just said, there are vampires on the loose in the Hogwarts grounds, now, we are going to be sending in some ministry personnel and Lupin here to try and destroy them- (Lupin's head jerked up, obviously he had not agreed to do anything) -so we no longer have to fear them but vampires are very powerful and it may take some time… so please remain inside the castle after sunset unless absolutely necessary, even then make sure that Draco goes with you to protect you." 

There was utter silence once again for a while before the whole hall burst into loud conversations on the subject.  Some of them terrified, others intrigued.  Draco still stood on the spot, his head turning in random directions as he listened into conversations before Dumbledore called him up to the front to talk to the other teachers.  They all seemed shocked and slightly horrified at seeing Draco like this, but they hid it, the last thing they wanted was to show fear especially in front of the students.

"Yessum?"

"Draco, I have sent owls to the Ministry and of course to members of the Order.  We are going to have a meeting on your future and your new job for them at the start of the new school year," Dumbledore stated, all the other teachers stared at Draco.

Draco merely nodded, he was not looking forward to his future… thinking of this made him curious about one thing, "Where will I go over summer? Back home?"

Lupin smiled slightly, "Actually, we were going to let you stay here… rather than be a bother back at home," he leaned in closer and whispered, "And I know that you don't really want to go back either."

"Stay here?" McGonnagal turned to Lupin.  "The boy needs serious attention! No one will be here to look after him here over summer."

"I assure you professor that I can look after myself…" Draco glared.

"Yeh think yeh can, an' yeh could as a human… but can yeh look after yerself as a _vampire?" Hagrid asked, feeling rather weird calling Draco a vampire._

"Of course I can! Just stay out of sunlight and I'll be happy!" Draco then turned to Hagrid.

"What about feeding yourself? Can you do that?" Professor McGonnagal raised a thin eyebrow.

"Well… yeah… how hard can it be? All you do is… go and find some creature in the forest and…" he paused, "Get off my case! I'm not going home and that's it!" 

"Look, be logical here," Lupin to the rescue, "He has just gone against Voldemort on his own will, betrayed him twice in fact.  His father is a Death eater… not a good thing to send Draco back to him… where they may find out about Draco being on our side again, ruining our plan!"

Draco smirked, _Nice move wolf man! _Draco sent a message to Lupin's head.  Lupin jumped but nodded at him.  All the teachers seemed to consider this.

"He can always stay with you and the Order, he will be safe there at least," McGonnagal argued.

"Look, I know I am not used to this… but I need to learn! At least give me that chance… I want to stay here and I can keep an eye out for anything odd… please let me stay here!" Draco pleaded.

After much more arguing and begging, they finally agreed that it was fine to let Draco stay at the school as long as the ghosts would keep an eye on him and Peeves wouldn't try to open the curtains on Draco in the morning… this did not make Draco feel very safe, Peeves always did have something against him, every since he had once told Filch where he hid all the things he took to annoy the students.  This whole sunlight issue was just ammunition for revenge.

Dumbledore had just stood up and dismissed everyone when the doors of the Great Hall flew open and very angry Ministry members were standing in the doorway, including Fudge himself.  A few students screamed in shock, they were now considerably jumpy after what they had just heard and witnessed.

"Ah, Cornelius my friend, I didn't expect you so soon," Dumbledore said in a calm voice despite the fuming look on the Minister's face.  "Please, sit down and we can talk."

Fudge raised a threatening finger at Dumbledore as he walked forward, "What do you think you are playing at? The Ministry and school board will not stand for this one.  You may have gotten away with many things… but a dangerous creature being allowed to roam free in the school? That's in a league of its own!"

Draco, who was still standing at the teacher's table, slowly turned to face the minister and the other ministry members with a glare.  Lupin was also glaring at the men, knowing why they had come.

"I do believe I explained the situation to you.  He is not dangerous and he is our only chance of-"

"He is a vampire Albus, all vampires are dangerous no matter what we do.  He may seem sweet and innocent to you now but inside he is a killer and we cannot allow him to be able to roam around this school freely."

"Well you certainly don't see a threat in me Fudge," Lupin stood forward.  "Werewolves are just as dangerous, you just don't like anything new to be brought over to our side.  We have lost the Dementors, we need all the help we can get!" Draco grinned and nodded once shortly.

"The vampire is not trustworthy.  At least you are only dangerous once a month, even then you can lock yourself up… he will be dangerous all year round!" Fudge's face was glowing red with anger at someone challenging him.

"Will you please stop talking as if I'm not here!" Draco snapped at the Minister.  "You don't know if I am dangerous or not and for your information I am perfectly safe.  If I was dangerous you'd know about it because I would have ripped you to tiny pieces by now if I was!"

Silence filled the room, no one moved.  Everyone was listening to the conversation and watching as Fudge's face glowed to the stage of purple.

"You see, that is the vampire talking… he is violent Albus.  If he gets angered who knows what will happen to a passing student," Fudge waved his arms around, gesturing to the crowd of muted pupils.

"This is not the vampire talking, this is me talking! As Lupin said, you are scared of what is different… just because vampires are known killers and connected with the Dark Lord, it does not mean that I am one of them! Sure I am a vampire but I am myself behind this look and I would never harm another student… you on the other hand are pushing it!"

Lupin looked down at Draco's clenched fists, seeing blue sparks of electricity jump off them and surge over his shaking fingers.  Knowing that Draco had yet to control his magic, Lupin took Draco by the shoulders and whispered, "Calm down… you really don't want to let out your magic now."  Draco's ridged body slackened as he relieved the tension.  

Fudge seemed taken aback by this comment Draco made and he looked up in anger at the other teachers as if asking for some punishment for that, but it was obvious who's side they were on.  He leaned in close to Draco and pointed a finger at him threateningly and hissing, "I'll take your word for it young Malfoy but mark my words, if you set one toe out of line… I will have my slayer friend here hunt you down and destroy you."

Draco replied also with a hiss, making sure his fangs were noticeable, "Don't worry, I wouldn't dream of it," he snapped his sharp teeth at Fudge's shaking finger.

Fudge took a few shocked steps away from Draco and, with one final death stare at the headmaster, he stormed out of the Great Hall along with his Ministry friends.  The slayer hung back and flashed his silver sword and Draco threateningly before pointing at him and making a cut-throat motion.  Draco put both hands up to his face and mocked a scream of terror and a faint just before the slayer also stormed out.  Mocked by a vampire… he would not spread that around.

They left the door wide open and after the pupils, Draco let his magic out to slam the door shut, he was shaking with the effort of holding his magic in but also with anger.  "_If you step one toe out of line, mee mee mee mee…" he mimicked the minister in a high voice as he shuffled along the hall, "Bastard…" he muttered before disappearing in a cloud of black mist._

(I feel that was a bit rushed and stuff and I didn't even read over and check it! but I really am going to be pushed for time now… new important year at school and stuff… hope I can still keep writing, I'm just nearing the good part… big fights… blackmail… framing… the usual! Lol, see yas!)


	16. Chapter sixteen

Chapter sixteen

(This is just a chappie to tie up the end of this plot strand and start the next plot… Sorry it took me sooo incredibly long but I kept feeling guilty every time I sat down at the comp and that nagging voice said 'You should be doing your art coursework! You'll regret it later!' Plus I had to re-write it several times because I continually changed the plot and tried to put humour in… I failed! Lol, enjoy it anyway, next chappie **hopefully** won't take so long!)

Draco began to feel like he had grown an extra head or something for the last few weeks of the year.  Everywhere he went, people either stared, whispered behind hands or jumped quickly out of his way.  He was getting so annoyed about this that he tended to snap at anyone who dared to comment, sometimes even at those who just wanted to know how he was feeling… this just made them more scared of him.

The Slytherins made it no better for him.  They tended to shoot him death stares (which there was really no need for seeing as he was technically dead!) and make threats like, "My father is a Death Eater you know Malfoy, he'll tell You-Know-Who all about you and that plan" or "Watch your back Malfoy, you won't be safe here for long." Draco always rolled his eyes at these threats and usually gave them a full-teethed grin that made them flinch while he said, "Well, if anything like that happens, then I know who to come looking for in the night then don't I? Thanks for informing me."  He didn't care if the Slytherins were scared of him, in any case it was probably a good thing!

These comments would sometimes get to him although he would never show it.  What if they did tell, he knew that they would and he would be in big trouble if they did.  As well as that, there was a reason far closer to home, his own father.  Did his father know he was a vampire? Of course he would know, he was close to Voldemort.  Would his father wonder where he was over summer and send another vampire out looking? Probably.  Would he be worried? Not likely.

For a while, he felt changes inside him and he could feel the vampire inside him aching to get out.  Every time he saw blood from a wounded student after a fight, he'd get an over powering urge to walk over and suck up the blood… every last drop.  It was a hunger he could never satisfy no matter how much he drank from animals in the forest or the glasses he received from the kitchens.  Human blood was different, he knew it even though he had never tasted it.  He fought it every time and after a while, it became easier, even when a girl flicked her hair, exposing her neck and the pulsing veins, he merely flinched and bit his lip; his lips were near shreds with his sharp teeth and he usually struck what little blood he had up through the cuts.      

His depression and loneliness continued, he would always feel like an outcast, something he was not used to.  He was so deep in shock and depression that for days he didn't change his tattered, worn and dirty black clothes that he had been wearing since the night he was bitten.  Only when Hermione cared to make a 'subtle' comment did he change into his emerald green shirt and black trousers.

He was annoyed yet happy that he remembered nothing about what he had done when he was possessed but sometimes he would wake up in the early afternoon, sweating blood and screaming while thrashing furiously at the right hand side of his neck.  Either that or he would have sudden flashbacks of himself walking through the Hogwarts corridors or a dark house and a snake or even other people he doesn't remember ever meeting telling him about plots and schemes.  He would not remember what he saw but he would always wake up terrified and shaking.  He was scared to go to sleep, knowing that the visions would come and haunt him… for the rest of his unnatural life.  He told Lupin about this and Snape agreed to make a sleeping draft for him.  Draco followed Snape around for ages thanking him and going on about the dreams… until Snape told him to bugger off at least.

There was something else bothering him, something deep inside him.  He told no one because he thought of it as nothing, but it hurt.  It felt like there was something missing and he would sometimes feel sad and hurt at it but he could never explain it.  If only he had told someone, then everything that happens next might never have happened.  Maybe the confusion and blood shed could've been avoided…

*~*~*~*

The final night arrived.  The last time he would be around other people for two weeks, the last time he would see or speak to his friends.  Not for the first time, he realised how lonely he would be here, but it was better than going back home… anything was.  

He didn't want to get up out of his bed, although when he got into it each day, he always felt strangely exposed and vulnerable but he wouldn't be caught dead in a coffin.  This thought made him smile to himself, as small as it was, it was his first joke in over a week.  He was slowly coming out of his stage four… depression.  Next stage laid acceptance.  Draco crawled under the purple duvet and curled up in the heat of it.

At ten at night, he eventually decided it was best to get up and say goodbye to everyone, he couldn't see them tomorrow morning before they left after all.

*~*~*~*

"ARGH!" a chorus of screaming girls jumped as far across the sofa as they could.

"We wish you wouldn't do that!" One yelled as her heart stopped racing and she sat back down again.

"Oh, sorry, I'll knock on thin air next time shall I?" Draco snapped irritably.  He had only just apparated into the Gryffindor common room and he was being yelled at.

He looked round the room, not even listening to their reply.  He sighed when he didn't see any of his friends.  He decided to run up and check the boy's dormitory for signs of Harry and Ron.  Not that Ron could ever be called a 'friend' to Draco… 'Forced ally' was more the term.

He ran up to find all the boys packing their suitcases for the next morning… it looked like some of them had exploded.  Uniforms were thrown everywhere along with certain items that Draco tried to avoid touching at any cost.

"Hey there you toothy git how are ya?" Ron said when he looked up and noticed Draco dancing around items on the floor to get over to them.

"…er… did someone cast an exploding spell in here? I didn't hear anything going off…" Draco jumped the last pair of boxer shorts to stand in front of Harry, who was sitting on his suitcase while trying to close it.

"It was worse a few minutes ago," Harry nodded with a strained smile.

"Neville put a pack of exploding snap cards at the bottom of his thinking it would be safe… as you can see it was a rather disastrous idea," Seamus had come round to talking to Draco, although it still had a trace of bitterness and fear.

Draco laughed as Neville went a deep shade of red and picked up his tie off the torch holder on the wall.

Draco looked up, "Do I want to know what that is stuck to the ceiling?" he asked as he saw some black/blue slime-like stuff splatted over the ceiling.  As he asked, a drop fell onto his black boot.  Draco wrinkled up his nose and flicked his foot to shake it off.

"No… you really don't!" Dean looked up with a grin.  Draco was surprised that everyone was on good terms with him; then again, he was a very powerful creature and people tended to not want to get on the wrong side of them.

An awkward silence then followed.  Draco knew that it was because of him, he had tormented all these boys over the past six years and they obviously had not forgotten that… he didn't expect them to be friendly towards him entirely.  They may have seemed friendly enough to him but Draco had sensed unease and hate in the air coming from everyone except Harry, even then their was a slight air of unease coming form him… as if he didn't trust him.  Draco felt so out of place… where did he belong?

_With us… one of us Malfoy_

Draco gasped and blinked out of his own thoughts as an alien voice filled his head.  He began shaking his head and hoping it was just his imagination.

"Oi Malfoy, you taking a fit or something?" Ron looked at Draco as if he was totally insane.

"I heard a voice…" Draco replied before he even thought about it, he winced when he realised what he had said.

"O-K he's officially insane! Wonder if they have a section in St. Mungo's for mental vampires?"

They all began laughing and talking about him but Draco wasn't listening, he was too distracted by the flashbacks in his head and finally the voices faded away and were replaced by a strange ringing sound. He could see the forest, himself biting someone on the hand, an old run-down house, he was kissing a black haired girl, being threatened by an older boy, he could see a sea of blood that eventually turned into two shocking red eyes that seemed to burn through Draco like the sun along with drowned out laughter and then a loud booming voice could be heard over the increasing volume of the ringing that yelled (or shrieked) "TRAITOR!" as the eyes flew closer to him until they blinded him… then it all went black.

"I think he's lost it."

"What happened?"

"He just went insane and started screaming."

"Draco? Can you hear me?"

So many distant voices drowned beneath a low ringing sound that remained in his ears.  He opened his eyes wide at once and saw that he was lying on the ground in the dormitory, all the boys, Hermione and Ginny kneeling over him with looks of fear or concern.  He didn't remember falling, or why, all he remembered was a pair of burning eyes and a feeling of utter fear.

"I always knew there was something not right with your head Malfoy but-"

"Shut up Weasley!" Draco snapped as he sat bolt upright, almost hitting Ginny in the face.

"What happened?" Ginny asked as she edged away, in case he rounded on her even for such a simple question, he seemed on the edge.

The answer wasn't so simple, how could he explain it without worrying them or scaring them… or them thinking he was pathetic and a coward? "I felt weak… that's all… I think I need to go and get something to eat…"

He jumped up and ran out, everyone staring after him.  He ran the whole way back to his chamber and collapsed on his bed.  Why was he getting all these visions and then only remembering parts of it… as if his own mind was mentally torturing him, trying to drive him mad.  He would put an end to it… he would find a way.

*~*~*~*

"BYE! We promise we'll write to you!"

"Same here! Have a great summer guys!"

"Right back at you Dracula!"

"Don't go insane on us!"

Draco smiled from under the heavy, black cloak shielding him from the sunlight as he stood on the platform, saying goodbye to his friends.  "I'll try…" he said solemnly.

The train began to move and gain speed, Draco turned and waved quickly before the sun burnt his hand, his smile fading the further the train moved away before it turned the corner and was out of sight.

Draco kicked a near-by stone onto the track and heaved another breathless sigh, which still freaked him out a lot.  Two months of loneliness and torment from Peeves, who would look forward to it?

He felt a heavy hand touch his shoulder, there was no need to look round, he knew who it was; the only other person to stay at Hogwarts over summer.  "'bout time yeh went inside Draco, don' want yeh cookin' now do we?"

"I'm coming," Draco said rather reluctantly as Hagrid steered him away from the direction of the train.

"It won' be so bad.  You migh' enjoy it even."

"We'll see."

Hermione watched out the window at the black figure getting smaller and smaller.  She sat back down when she could no longer see him and got out the gift he had made her when Harry, Ron and Neville got into a quidditch conversation.

Ginny looked over, "Awe, that's so pretty! No prizes if I guess who gave it to you right? It's a very 'Draco' thing isn't it?"

Hermione laughed, "Yes, it is really isn't it?" she spun the black rose round in her fingers slowly.  "it's a magic one too.  If I put it in this," she showed Ginny a phial of thick, dark red liquid, "then it can tell me how he is feeling."

"How?" Ginny poked the phial, it was slightly warm.

"Because in this phial is some blood from him and it has a connection to him magically."

Ginny slowly took her finger away from the phial, "Ew…" she breathed.

Hermione laughed at her again, "I know but… at least I'll know if he's dead or in mortal danger!"

"Why couldn't he just give you one of those clocks… only pocket sized?"

"Black roses are nicer."

"How can you tell by looking at the rose anyway? Does it talk?"

"Unfortunately no… if it's dead it means Draco's dead… if it's all ridged and dangerous looking, it means he's in danger but if it's all pretty and nice, it means he's fine."

"Let's just hope it doesn't die then, you wouldn't stop worrying until you got back to Hogwarts!"

*~*~*~*

"He has done it again! I don't understand how but he has and I will not stand for it!" Voldemort roared as he thumped the table.  "I will not be lenient with him now."

Dario was passing by the room and the door was lying slightly open, he couldn't help but stop to listen to this conversation.  Voldemort was the only one talking, if there was anyone else there, they were staying very silent.  He even didn't flinch when the odd Dementor passed, although they did ignore vampires, they still scared him.

"What went wrong… you had him the way we wanted and then… and then he helped Potter! WHY?"

A shaking voice replied, "I-I don't know… he j-just… changed… Nothing I could do would stop him."

"Well, it doesn't matter, I will not waste my time on him anymore.  I'll get someone to kill him… don't look at me like that Malfoy, he will die for this!"

Dario listened to the silence that followed and he could feel Lucius' thoughts.  Deep down inside there was a spot that did have fatherly love for his son, he had been disturbed at the thought of Draco being a vampire but he dared not to say anything to his master… it was a battle of the morals inside his head and it made Dario feel sorry for him.  _Do I sign my own son's death warrant just to please the master, or do I stand up for him and risk both our lives?_

"He is already dead, you will lose nothing!" Voldemort seemed to know what his Death Eater was thinking.

After more silence, "Of course master…"

Dario jumped when he felt a hand on his shoulder.  

"What are you doing?" Donato hissed.

"They're going to kill Draco…"

"Really?" Donato now seemed interested, "Well that's no fun!"

"What?"

"I mean, I was hoping to have some fun with him first… toy with his mind.  I know what he's up to, I can read his mind like a book!"

"And what would that be Mr. DeCourté?" the cold voice of Voldemort made both boys yell and jump away from the door, staring with wide eyes.  "Well?"

"I-I was just s-saying that Malfoy's u-up top something… w-we could play on it…"

"What is he up to?" Voldemort was loosing patience very easily.

"He thinks we don't know about him not being on our side anymore so they are sending him out to spy on us and give them information… I was thinking maybe we should let him think we don't know and give him false information-"

"- and then they'll blame him when they find out…" Voldemort finished with a grin.  "It'll be easier to… yes… perfect."

As Voldemort discussed his plan, the looks on the vampires' faces brightened into an excited sort of malice.  And if Hermione had not have been asleep, she would've seen the rose sit upright, ridged and its thorns open out dangerously.

(Thanx for being so patient! And special thanx to those who reviewed chappie 15 so well! Love ya all! BYES!)


	17. Chapter seventeen

Chapter Seventeen

(As usual, starts boring, gets good, gets evil then I leave it there… sorry about the last chappie, I read over it again and hated it!!! It will start to get really going now, more blood involved and more fights, just the tiniest bit of romance at the end of this but that's only because there are so many D/Hr fans reading this (sorry to anyone who hates romance but I have to keep everyone happy)! It's definitely the calm before the storm. Thanx for being so patient with me! Very long if it's any consolation!)

Excited talk filled the hall as quickly as the food appeared on the golden plates at the start of year feast.  The house ghosts were having fun showing off to the new first years and Peeves, who was normally banned from the feasts, had found a way in and had started throwing food at them.  It took a very stern word from the Bloody Baron to sort him out, even then he blew the biggest, wettest raspberry he could manage back at him before flying out of the hall cackling.  Who knows what he was going to do and who to.  So, in short, everyone was there, except one.

Hermione was frantic.  The rose Draco had given her had sat up in a dangerous way all summer, until she saw he was OK, she would not settle down.

"Hermione would you stop it! That's the third time you've done that and look, my soup was heading for my mouth!" Ron pointed to his wet, stained robes that now smelt of tomato.

"Sorry," Hermione replied quickly, sitting back down.

"Eat something and stop worrying!" Harry told her, shovelling mashed potatoes onto her plate.

"I suppose I should stop, someone would've told us if-"

Hermione had to stop there because at that moment, Peeves came flying through the doors of the Great Hall with a huge bucket, dripping water.  Girls screamed and guys ducked as Peeves cackled wildly overhead, the odd drop of freezing water dripping onto a student.  But Peeves did not throw it at anyone, in fact, it was completely empty.  Students and teachers were just beginning to wonder what was going on when their question was answered by a very familiar, and very pissed off, looking figure storming in through the doors.

Soaking from white head to black boot was Draco Malfoy, his eyes were in dangerous slits under wet hair sticking to his deathly pale face.  His boots swished with water as he stalked briskly forward and his clothes stuck to him as though with glue.

Peeves laughed hysterically before Draco could say a word, "Just a little wake up call that's all little Draccie… nothing menacing about it," he said this with the biggest smirk his little face could handle.

"I was already awake, I was walking out the bloody door!" Draco snapped, wringing out his cloak, a waterfall of icy water splashed on the stone floor, hitting a few near-by students.

"PEEVES! OUT!" McGonnagal yelled as she stood up, pointing at the doorway.

"Why me?" Peeves' features changed to that of innocence, "I'm not the dangerous one around here.  If I go toothy gob goes too!" he looked down at Draco, who was gliding closer to him.

Students were silent, some were laughing quietly behind hands at this little show.  First years didn't know what to think of this, after all, they knew no one.

"Get out now before I get the Bloody Baron!" she was still standing but her voice was lowered and more threatening.

"Fine, fine… Peeves can't have no fun he can't…" he glided sadly away but as he passed behind Draco, he threw the bucket over his head, which just about muffled out the swearing.

Once again, Peeves floated out, still cackling like a mad man as if that was the funniest thing he had ever done.

Draco angrily threw off the bucket onto the floor with a wooden crack; the handle sprung off and soared across the hall, hitting with a prang onto a wooden beam.  Everyone was silent and stared at Draco, he felt as though his face would light up bright red if he had had enough blood in him, but he remained as chalk white as before.

The silence seemed to last for an age, until Dumbledore stood up and chuckled, "Very entertaining Draco I must say.  Your endless war with Peeves never fails to amuse!"

"Oh, so I'm just a spectacle of entertainment is that it?" Draco tried to show anger but a grin was breaking through, his joy of finally being surrounded by people once again was stronger than his hatred for Peeves… and that was saying something!

"I believe it is time to introduce the last of our Hogwarts family," Dumbledore held out a hand in a gesture towards Draco, who swept his hand through his wet hair and it instantly became dry once again.  A few people who caught this gasped and first years were beginning to see that he was not normal at looking at his waxy skin and unnatural movements.

"This is our school's night watcher, Draco Malfoy.  He will be patrolling the corridors at night to make sure everything is sound so that you are safe inside these walls.  It has gotten to the point now that outside at night is too dangerous, so I must press on you that outside after sun set is forbidden, but if it is necessary, Draco here must be with you at all times."

"Just don't get on my bad side, I might suddenly decide I'm hungry," Draco grinned and winked at a small girl beside him.

The girl took one look at this grin and shrieked, "Vampire!" This set off a chain reaction among most of the first years, who all were either screaming or looking extremely shaken.  Many of the muggle-borns were looking very interested, they had never seen a real vampire before, and the older students smiled and laughed, remembering their own reaction last year.

Dumbledore raised a hand and the screaming stopped, but several white faces were still keeping at least one eye on the vampire standing in the centre of the Hall.  "Do not panic, he will not hurt you he is safe!"

"You would think that wouldn't you… Draco Malfoy, the _tame_ vampire.  But what if someday I go mad… mad with a hunger inside me, for human blood," Draco made his eye twitch and he made a sudden movement towards a small boy in Slytherin with a hiss.  The boy yelped and fell off his seat in shock.

"DRACO! Do not… torment the first years!" Dumbledore stood up and shouted firmly.

Draco stopped and swallowed, "Yessir…" he replied quickly and hung his head.

"Take a seat Draco, you've been looking forward to seeing your friends since the moment they left.  Someone will bring you something in a minute.  Everyone else, carry on and enjoy the feast!" with that final word, Dumbledore sat back down and the talking in the hall resumed.

Draco scanned the Gryffindor table for any sight of his friends.  When he saw them, he smiled and glided towards them.  First years watched were he was going to see who he was friends with, possibly to make sure they didn't go near them either.

"Draco!" Hermione stood up and gave him a big, warm hug.  Ginny joined in, giving him a hug from behind.  Draco couldn't stop smiling, he was with his friends again.  He was the happiest he had been in months.  As he stood there, surrounded by a hug, he saw the seventh year Slytherins glaring at him, some were grinning at him, as if they were up to something.  Had they told their parents about him? Was Voldemort now wise to his plans?  His momentary happiness was sucked out of him as if a dementor had just entered the room. 

*~*~*~*

The weeks passed and everyone eventually grew used to Draco being around and the fact that he was a vampire, in fact, they were growing more and more curious.

"Did you really die?"

"What does it feel like being bitten?"

"How long have you been a vampire?"

"Can you still see the bite mark?"

Draco loved all the attention so he was happy enough to tell them what had happened… well, he couldn't remember exactly what happened… so he just had to add a little part of his own to the story…

"I was surrounded by them, I had no chance of escaping.  I still had lots of energy left and I was determined not to let them get me, so I struggled.  It took four of them - or was it five? - to drag me out into the forest.  There, I still fought against them, I gave it every once of strength and I never gave in to tiredness, but" he put on a sad face, "as you can see they eventually won the fight.  And, if you look carefully, you can still see the scar on my neck…" he rolled down his high necked collar and moved to the candle-light.  The wide-eyed students followed in mounting excitement, still feeling fearful after Draco's story.

"I can't see anything!" A Welsh second year boy frowned as he looked closer.

"You have to look very closely and concentrate really hard on this spot here," he tapped the right side of his neck just below his jaw line.

All the students leaned in closer and closer.  "Yes, that's it, closer… closer…" When they were close enough for their noses to touch, he quickly jerked round and hissed at them.

They all fell back with their hands in front of their faces and screamed in shock and fear.  Draco laughed, showing his gleaming teeth.  After a few seconds, everyone had began to laugh, the whole common room was soon laughing at the curious students.

As much as the Gryffindors, Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws were getting to love him, the Slytherins weren't all feeling that way about him.

"Hey Malfoy, enjoy your 'life' while you can.  You are in so much trouble!" Pansy and her gang of Slytherin girls giggled behind their hands as Draco walked past, going to deliver something to Lupin.  A group of boys, including Crabbe and Goyle, were standing with them.

Draco rolled his eyes and stuck his middle finger up at them on the way past, without even looking round.

"Won't be so cocky soon Malfoy, hope you don't mind a little sunlight to get a tan, or do you not tan and just burn?" one of the other girls called and they all laughed.

Draco twitched but he wouldn't let them get to him, he had to stay calm, they were just trying to get him into trouble with the ministry, he knew about that as he had done it himself in third year to Buckbeak.

"You know Malfoy, if you really did care about those Gryffindork friends of yours, you'd just give in now.  If you don't you know they'll just get hurt… staring with the mudblood, then-"

The boy didn't have time to finish, Draco dropped the parchment and he seemed to just appear right in front of the boy, hand pinning him up against the wall, eyes narrowed and dangerous, teeth bared in an angered grimace. 

"Don't you dare make any threats against them… don't you dare call any of them a mudblood either or you may find that I don't care what the minister says and rip your throat open… don't think I'd drink any blood though, it'll just make me sick with it's sour taste," he hissed.

From behind, Crabbe and Goyle had grabbed his shoulders and they easily pulled Draco off the shaking Slytherin.  They must have been the most stupid boys in the school picking a fight with a vampire but they did.  Goyle held Draco in an arm lock while Crabbe continually hit him on his face and in his stomach.

"Want a fight do you? Your funeral boys!" Draco smirked.  With one swift movement he bit Goyle in the arm that was holding him, when Goyle shrieked and let him go in an automatic reaction, Draco grabbed him by his other arm and swung him into Crabbe.  Both boys were lifted off their feet, by the vampire's strength, and landed with a crash and clatter into a near-by suit of armour.

Draco spat and gagged at the taste after biting Goyle before grinning up at the others, as if daring them to make a move.  "Anyone else want to say anything to me, or want to take me on? Feel free, I need a laugh!"

The girls had already made a run for it, the boy Draco had threatened, was edging away while Crabbe and Goyle were struggling to figure out what even happened, never mind get up.

"Fine, have a nice day," Draco smiled as he turned away, his cloak flying out behind him as he picked up the parchment again and continued to walk to Lupin's office as if nothing had ever happened.

*~*~*~*

The note for Lupin had said that he needed to be there at a meeting later that night with the Order and the Ministry inside the main conference room.  Unfortunately for Draco, he had to be there too.

"So what you are saying is we should get this underway as soon as possible?"

"Yes, we need to start early to end this before it gets any worse."

"Will there be a war Minister?"

"I certainly hope not but, of course, we can not stop it if it does come.  We will have to stand and fight."

"Everything rests on Malfoy… who is sleeping as we speak… Draco wake up!" Lupin nudged Draco, who was sleeping with his head on one arm.

"Young Malfoy, it is important that you pay attention! If you don't heed this information, everything will go wrong and it will be your fault that a war breaks out!" the Minister snapped.

Draco blinked, "Sir, I pretty much know what I'm doing here!"

"Pretty much isn't good enough! This is practically the whole wizarding world counting on you!"

"Oh well thanks for making me feel so much more confident sir! There's really not a lot resting on this really! Why don't I just go kill myself… it's not as if it would make much difference for all the faith you have in me!" Draco glared, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

They were all sitting at a very large, round table of polished pine.  The room itself was decorated in gold and it was very grand looking.  Draco was sitting opposite the minister and between Lupin and Dumbledore.

"What little faith I do have in you is slowly fading with your lack of attention and enthusiasm!"

"Enthusiasm? You want that? OK then… yeah, there's going to be a war no matter what I do and we're all going to die! Oh yeah, such spiffing fun that'll be eh? Painful deaths all around courtesy of the Minister and Draco Malfoy!"

 Lupin hid his head under his hand, unable to suppress a grin, although he felt the seriousness of this.  Draco did not believe that he could do this… he was not paying any attention… this could all collapse in a matter of days and a war will break out.

"Seriously, Draco.  You need to understand fully what you are doing before you do it.  Nothing must slip," Lupin looked up.

"I am to go into the forest or wherever the rest of the vampires are hiding and I have to stay there with them sending you lot back information on you-know-who's next moves… how can that be so hard?" Draco shrugged.

"They must truly believe that you are one of them, and that will be hard.  Vampires are hard creatures to trick," Dumbledore replied.

"But, as the old saying goes, fight fire with fire," Lupin smiled at Draco.

Draco paused, "When do I start?"

"Tomorrow night," the Minister stood up, the rest followed suit and soon the conference room was almost empty.

Draco sat on his own for a while, taking it all in.  The fact that he might screw up was prominent in his head.  He had only just seen his friends again and now he has to leave.  "This sucks…" he whined as he walked back to the common room.

*~*~*~*

Draco sat on the edge of his bed, he was worried about this, and he could feel that something wasn't right and that something terrible would happen but hopefully that was only his nerves playing up.  _Hopefully _he thought again and looked up out of his hands.  He was about to get up and go for a walk outside in the grounds again but something caught his eye and he stayed put, staring at the mirror in the far corner of his room.

He slowly stood up and glided over to it, still staring in disbelief as a tall, pale sixteen year old boy stared back.  His reflection.

"How?" he whispered out loud as he touched the glass surface.  _I can't have one… he thought this as he was a child staring at a toy behind a glass window in a shop._

His wonder soon disappeared and his own vain self came back when he caught sight of the state his white hair was in.  His fringe was long and falling untidily over his silver eyes, the rest was unnaturally shiny and messed up as if he had been in a hurricane and it was sticking right up at the back.

"Oh my God!" he growled in anger, had he been walking around like that all this time? His depression forgotten, he summoned his comb and began frantically brushing it, firstly brushing his fringe over his eyes.  It was tangled in knots and it hurt to tug but other than that, his hair felt strangely unreal.  "OUCH! What has that creep done to my bloody hair? Hasn't he heard of those little inventions called gel and a hairbrush? I swear I'm-" he stopped as he flipped his hair back from his eyes and looked at the mirror again.

His reflection hadn't moved, it wasn't even standing in the same position as him at all… he then looked closer and noticed that it was still wearing the clothes hehad worn the night he was bitten, impeccably neat but his hair was just like it was meant to be.  His face bore the famous Malfoy smirk and stare, his arms folded and head cocked to one side.

Draco's mouth fell open as he raised the brush and pulled it through his hair.  The reflection did not move but the hair did.  The reflection looked up at the piece of hair moving and then smiled back at Draco before laughing at the look of horror on his face.

"The look on my face is priceless!" it laughed.

Draco's eyes widened, "Okay my reflection is talking to me…" 

"Reflection? Hello, do I look as if I'm a copy of you? I'm not even moving like you! A reflection doesn't do that… and it most certainly does not talk to you!"

"Then what the hell are you? Oh Lord, I'm talking to my own reflection I've gone mad with depression!" Draco slapped his head and cringed.

"For the last time dumbass I am not your reflection!"

"Don't you call me dumbass you… you… you didn't answer my question, what are you if you are not my reflection… then go away and leave me alone!" his head flew up and he glared.

It grinned a familiar grin, "I've always been with you Draco, you've just never seen me before because I have never had the chance to show myself and if I was to leave you, you'd be back to the way you were."

"What?"

"It must be true what they say about blondes…" the mirror Draco put his head in his hand and sighed.  "Look, what do you have that no other vampires have?"

Draco thought.  He had his own thoughts, personality, control… he had…

"Oh hell no! No way!" he took a step back.

The mirror Draco looked up to the ceiling, "By Jove I think he's got it!"

"But how? I've looked in the mirror before and I have never saw you… no mortal has!"

The image sighed, "Guess I'm going to have to explain… now, do you want me to go slowly or repeat myself?"

"Don't make me come in there!" Draco shook his fist.

"Alright, alright! Look, when you were bitten you lost me right? Forever, gone, bye byes you get it?" he stopped, but with one look at Draco's face he continued in a hurry.  "Good, well, that meant that I could never be yours again but I was called back to you magically.  But even though I am a part of you again… we are still detached and so, you can see me now.  And Mortals can see their souls… they just don't know it because they think it's a reflection of the body.  Seeing as I am detached from your body… I have a mind of my own! Tough luck mate you're stuck with me forever!"

Draco was silent for a while to take this information in.  It made perfect sense of course but it was still very weird and scary to him.  "Can others see you or will it just sound like I'm going mad and talking to myself?"

"You _are_ talking to yourself!" it laughed but continued, "Of course they can see me but why do you want them to? I'm your own personal possession… not some show like a zoo animal! I can stay here while you could be off in Romania or something which could come in handy some time, most popel would love to be in two places at once."

"So, you're sort of like a portrait in that way?"

"Now you're getting it!"

Draco opened his mouth to say something but it didn't come out, instead he shook his head and whispered, "Why wasn't I told about this? I think I have a right to know if my soul can come back and taunt me in the form of my deranged reflection!"

*~*~*~*

Draco was heading round to talk to Lupin about this, he would be able to confirm all of this so Draco knew he wasn't hallucinating due to his worrying.  

He was just about to knock and enter when he heard Lupin talking to Dumbledore and the Minister.

"In a fight he wouldn't be able to win! It's not fair to do this to him."

"We must find this information out, and he is our only way.  If he is found out then he can just run, at least we will have some sort of head start in stopping this war with a little information."

"He is only a half vampire, he does not stand a chance even running from them and they will be able to see right through him the moment he makes eye contact! We are sending him to his death here!" Lupin argued.

"I think we can risk the life of a half vampire for the lives of the rest of the wizarding world Remus," the minister replied.

"Then I think it's right that he at least knows the risk," Dumbledore added calmly.

"If he was to know then he would never do it! We need this Albus and you know it-"

Draco didn't want to hear anymore, he ran flat out at top speed up to his usual spot on the tallest tower.  He needed to think about what he had just heard and let out his anger.

As he stood on the very edge of the highest battlement, the cold breeze blew around him.  He tilted his head up to the stars and closed his eyes, letting out a long, loud cry that echoed around the grounds below as the wind swept over his pale face and white hair like a large invisible hand.  He stopped yelling and just stood there, letting the rest of his worries and thoughts drift away with the bitter wind of the September night.  But nothing could get what he had just heard off his mind.

It was a battle of the morals, he knew he had to because if he didn't, a war was immanent but, he wasn't known for his heroism.  He wasn't like Harry, he wouldn't be known to give up his own life… especially for something that he didn't think would matter… even if he was to succeed but still be killed for his actions… a war was still going to happen.  No, that wasn't Draco.

His mind then wondered over to his friends, especially Hermione.  The muggle-borns would be the first to be hit hard and he didn't want that, the main reason why he had changed sides in the first place.  At least if he was to die in heroic circumstances, his friends will feel proud that he tired to save them.  It was then he knew he had to do it, for everyone else out there.  After all… wasn't he half dead already?

He would spend then next day, no matter how tired he was, hanging out with his friends but not telling them of what he had heard, it would upset them and they would end up volunteering to help.  That would make things worse.  He spend the afternoon inside with them (actually getting along with Ron over a game of wizard chess) talking and joking with them.  Playing jokes on the Slytherins (putting 'Gryffindor rules! Hear us roar!' banners around their common room that would only disappear after a week) was the funniest and he had the most fun ever with them.  He went down to dinner with them and grossed them out with the blood he was drinking.

"What's all of this in aid of?" Harry asked.

"I just want to have some fun before I go and have to be all evil and serious!" Draco lied.  And he was having fun, but there was one more thing he had to do…

"What are you doing?" Hermione laughed as she held her arms out in front of her while Draco led her over the roof.

"I just want to show you this before I go so you can come here when you feel lonely… worked for me over summer," Draco lifted her and sat her down, "Now, open your eyes."

She did and she gasped.  She was sitting on the roof of the highest point in the whole castle, no one could reach it unless they could fly, which was a shame because the view of the grounds and Hogsmeade under the dark sky and bright stars was stunning.  "This is amazing!" she laughed.

"I thought so too, last time I might see it though… for a long time," he added.

"I will worry about you, you know.  That rose you gave me hasn't stopped warning me that you're in danger lately."

"I'll be fine," Draco reassured her.

"Please be careful!"

"I will…" he stopped, he had to do this, it'll be the last chance he would get… ever.  "Hermione, in case anything does happen to me, I want you to know one thing…"

Hermione looked up and said nothing, she didn't want to think about not being able to see him again, it hurt.  Draco read this in her eyes and decided now was the best time to do it.  He leaned towards her and gave her a light kiss on her warm lips.

Hermione had been expecting something like that but it still caught her by surprise, the feeling of his deathly cold lips on hers.  It was the strangest feeling to kiss a vampire but it wasn't an unpleasant one, if anything, it felt refreshing the way his cold lips and hands met her own warm face.

He didn't want to let her go, he knew that once he did, he'd have to go meet up with the minister and Dumbledore to start his quest, the he would never see her again.  He wanted this to last.  They stayed there together, not letting each other go until Draco knew he had to or he would never leave.  They walked back to the castle doors and there was Dumbledore waiting on Draco.  

Dumbledore still showed no signs of knowing that Draco would not survive but he explained one last time what he was to do and how difficult it will be.  Draco nodded with understanding to Dumbledore and looked over at Hermione standing with Lupin.

"Good luck!"

"Be careful!"

With one last smile to her, he turned and left.

(I actually wrote romance without throwing up! It's a miracle! YAY! Lol, two things are important in this chappie 

1) the mirror thing

2) the roof top place at the end

hope you enjoyed this, it was the sympathy vote chappie where you are supposed to feel sorry for Draco! Next chappie is all of the vampire things (therefore… more humour!) and the start of a battle… or a war perhaps? Saying no more, see yas! Please review by the way!)


	18. Chapter eighteen

Chapter Eighteen

(The end is now officially sorted out! After much plotting and day dreaming in maths… I've got an ending I am satisfied with along with the all important lead up…*sings* So, thanx for reviewing this story, I didn't expect it to go on this long or to get as many reviews *big hugz* About this chapter… the vamp thing is shorter because I want to get to the war… you all want to get to the war… lets speed things up a little shall we? I thought it would be funny but… it's not! Damn! My writing standard, I feel, has slipped… or more like plummeted… so I'll try to get it back up!)

Draco twitched at any movement, any sound that reached his sensitive ears.  He should stop acting so scared, vampires don't feel fear often and it would look suspicious.  He thought that he would have a hard time finding the rest of the clan, but strangely, his feet seemed to know where to go.  They knew every dip, hill and fallen tree or branch as well as Draco knew the corridors at school, it didn't alarm him at all but it did make him feel better knowing that he would know the way back out if he was to get into trouble, rather than running randomly in circles all night.

Draco stopped and his ears twitched for the hundredth time since he left the castle.  He definitely heard something that time, no mistake; he had heard trees rustling in no way that the wind could make them.  Once the noise stopped and eerie blanket of silence had crept back over the dark, cold forest.  Draco continued, a little wearier now.  A second noise, a thud and a small squeak from behind him made him jump and turn round with a slight yelp.  Still nothing was to be seen.  Draco turned his body round and started walking, but he kept his head turned in the direction of the noise.  Once he was sure nothing was there, he turned his head round again.

"DRACO!"

"ARGH!" Draco yelled as he fell backwards.  He had turned round to see a pale face in front of him with a joyful, childish grin, hanging upside down.  Another soon popped down beside it with a giggly, high pitched, "BOO!"

Laughing, the first person swung round off the tree branch and glided slowly to the ground, landing with a soft whisper of sound to the forest floor.  "I've been waiting for ages to do that! Where've you been?" he held out a hand to help Draco up and he spoke with a faint, but very obvious, French accent.

Draco didn't take it; instead he stared up into a pair of dark eyes, almost black in colour.  They were completely lifeless; nothing seemed to be behind them, it was like looking into the eyes of someone who had fallen victim to a Dementor.  The boy was as pale as death like himself and his grin showed sharp teeth that were stained red/brown so slightly, and his hair would've been white enough to reflect even the tiniest bit of light by the moon through the trees but it was covered in hardened mud and dust.  He looked as though he had been trailed through several laps of the forest on a wet day by a raging centaur.  Draco didn't know who it was, he did not remember ever meeting him, but at the back of his mind a name popped up out of nowhere to put with the unfamiliar face.

"Nice way to welcome me back Dario.  I suppose you've been planning that since I left?" Draco jumped up without help and dusted himself down.

"Dari!" the other called in a higher childish voice.  Draco looked up to see a small five-year-old girl with long blonde hair and bright eyes.  She held out her hands, "Catch!"

She jumped down into Dario's outstretched arms with the lightness of a small feather but she quickly squirmed her way back out of his grip and over to Draco's leg, clutching it in a tight hug as she could reach no higher.  "Where you been Dwaco? I've missted you _this _much!" she stepped back and pulled her small arms out wide as far as they would go to back this up, almost falling over in the process.

Draco laughed at how cute she was, her young innocence was so sweet and angelic but obviously she wasn't angelic at all.  She was a vampire like all the others in the forest, she still had the power in her teeth to rip out someone's throat or the magic to kill someone without even having to try but Draco could not imagine such a sweet thing to do that.  That was probably why she was more dangerous than the others; she was more deceiving.  Draco felt saddened at how someone could do that to such a young child, taking her life away to replace it with this.

"That's what we'd all like to know Draco, you don't look any worse for wear," Dario began walking, Draco followed as the girl jumped up onto his back for a piggy back ride.  

Draco didn't know how much Dario knew about the episode with Voldemort and Harry in the old house, so he thought quickly, "They caught me…when I chased Potter… interrogated me on the master's plans and where we were hiding."

Draco could've sworn that Dario's face flickered into a malevolent grin but he shook his head, thinking it was the weak light of the forest.  Instead, grave concern fell over him.  "Oh my God… how'd you get away?"

He had never seen an emotion on a vampire before, but he could see a slight trace of horror on the boy's features.  If it was real or not was another thing but Draco did not think about that.  "Well, they took my magic away so I had to fight… they should've known those chains would've have kept me for long," Draco gave Dario a grin.

Dario nodded, "You haven't changed at all Draco!" Dario seemed to look at Draco all over as if analysing him.  Once he turned away again, Draco's hand automatically leapt up to his neck and felt under his high-necked collar to make sure his cross chain was concealed.  It was, but he still felt as though Dario knew it was there, as if it was showing to the world.

"How much do they know?" Dario said after a few minutes of walking in almost silence (The girl's cries of 'Giddy up horsie!' broke what silence there would've been).

"Nothing to threaten us with… about as much as knowing that there are more of us along with a few werewolves."

"You tell them about the plan?"

Draco blinked.  There always had been a plan that he was supposed to know about? He wrecked the back of his mind but nothing came, not even the word 'plan' could bring it back to him.  "Not a thing!" he said anyway, as convincing as he could make his voice go in a situation like this.

"Good, you know how fragile it is… even the slightest mistake could send us to failure and death remember?"

"I know I know…" Draco rolled his eyes.  _He doesn't realise… he can't see that I'm not one of them! This could be easier than I thought… don't let your guard down though… you can't trust them!_

At the same time, Dario was thinking, _that's it, keep digging deeper into it Malfoy… it's only your friends' grave…_

*~*~*~*

"Hey, look what we found!" Dario called as they entered a large clearing bright with moon and star-light.  All around, vampires of all kinds sat around chatting or playing tag... quite violently.  At the sound of Dario's voice, many looked up (most from under the grip of another as they played tag) and noticed Draco beside him carrying the blonde girl on his shoulders.

In one mad stampede, the ones who had noticed rushed over to greet Draco again.  Hugging him tightly, kissing him and asking questions that were drowned out by more questions so it all sounded like words caught in a blender.

"I'm fine, glad to be back again.  Hey! No touching there you two!" a couple of girls giggled and ran off side by side.

Once everyone had said their hellos, they turned back to what they had been originally doing, excitement over.  This is when the leader of the clan walked over.

He was a tall, stern looking man that had the impression that he had aged greatly in a small period of time.  His eyes were steel grey and his hair, almost the same colour, his voice was like gravel and low but it had a friendly tone.  "Nice to see you back with us Malfoy.  I am glad that you are safe, every vampire is as important as the next here.  Since the start of this retched time we have lost many of our kind, thankfully you are not one of them." He clapped Draco on the back.  "Well done."

Draco smiled, almost laughed at how formal he was being towards him, but thankful all the same that he was concerned.  For vampires having such a bad reputation, they seemed so normal, like a close community of the undead.  They seemed to be just like mortals and Draco was already feeling himself let his guard slip from the friendliness of it, but he caught himself on quickly.  _Not to be trusted, not to be trusted, not to be trusted…_

"Dwaco, I went out hunting by myself a few nights ago!" The girl poked him in the side of his face, snapping him out of his trance.  "I-I caught a rabbit!" she sounded very pleased with herself indeed.

"Really? Wow, I wouldn't want to mess with you any time soon anyway!" Draco smiled as he lifted her off his shoulders.

She ran off with a small skip over to the older vampire, possibly to continue seeking praise for the rabbit.

"She didn't go alone… Don followed her to make sure she was safe and hypnotised the rabbit…" Dario grinned, "Just let her think she caught it alone… believe me, it's safer that way- she can hurt!"

Draco laughed as Dario smiled, but his smile faded soon as if remembering something that forbade him to smile.

"What's wrong?" Draco inquired; half hoping it had some important information concealed in it.

"I thought you would've at least noticed… or have you and you don't even care?" Dario looked away, saddened.

Draco was taken aback by this.  He blinked, "Noticed what?"

"You mean to say you haven't noticed that Raven's gone?" Dario looked back up.

_Raven… Raven… why does that ring a bell? Just look concerned and pretend you know until it comes… "Well, I thought that… I thought she just wasn't here… what happened?"_

"You mean you didn't feel it?" Dario almost laughed.

Draco was lost again, "Well, I kinda had other things on my mind you know… like trying not to give you guys away!"

"She was killed Draco… surely you felt something, she created you!"

Draco's mind seemed to split in half as that triggered horrible, painful memories he had forgotten about until now.  There was a slight ringing in his ears as his head pounded and visions flashed up at him.  The lake, a pair of brilliant green eyes that made him feel like he was drowning, the forest, a sharp, stabbing pain on his neck along with the feeling of warm blood trickling down his neck and a scream… his own, a girl's pleading voice, _"I'm sorry! I… I… forgot, then I didn't think it would matter that much… he seemed fine" _then finally a cold voice, "_You have failed me Raven. You failed to do what I asked_..." Draco swayed slightly and he felt the animal's blood inside him bubble in his body.  There was something about that vision that seemed more disturbing than the others, a small voice at the back of his mind cried, "They see!"

"Draco, you OK? I didn't expect you to take it that bad!"

Draco blinked and shook his head sharply.  The panic inside him was now rising with every second, every time Dario looked at him, as if his eyes were searching inside his head.  

"You've gotten very twitchy Draco… what's wrong?"

Draco tried to search his eyes for some indication, some faint trace of knowing and seeing through him but it wasn't there.  The vampire's eyes were like a locked diary, no way in.

"Come on, I think we'd better get you something to drink and let you have some rest.  You've been through a lot lately… more than the rest of us.  It has been horrible but we can't do anything about it… we dare not."

Draco swallowed a lump down his dry throat.  He had no choice, he had to stay because he had not yet found anything out… besides, maybe he was just being paranoid, he usually went like that when he was scared, and the vision must've just set him over the edge even though he didn't understand it.  If only he had of thought deeper and worked it out.

*~*~*~*

He wasn't very successful in getting information out of them over the next few weeks but he did get more and more confident that he was getting away with this.  He would always think it would sound odd or suspicious if he was to ask about the plan, especially after telling Dario he had not told about it, indicating that he did know.  Everything seemed to be against him, because every time he got the chance to find stuff out, something came up.  Mostly a certain young vampire called Sylvia wanting to play hide and seek.

"PLEASE?" she tugged on his coat, whining and jumping impatiently.

"Fine, OK… one, two, three, four, five…" he would trail off after she left and not bother going off to find her.  Then she would come trotting back two hours later with a huge grin on her face, "You couldn't find me! I win, I win!".  

He used to love playing with her but lately he has grown seriously moody and low.  He just wanted to go back to the castle and be with his friends and for everything to be normal, as much as he liked the vampires, he knew that they were enemies.  He had made good enough friends with Dario and Dario's friend Donato, who was normally gone from sun set till sun rise, hunting or walking round the forest.  Donato's eyes always had reason to make Draco feel uneasy.  Unlike Dario's hollow, black ones, Donato's were the brightest most vivid blue imaginable very alive looking for a vampire, they seemed to shine out from under his messy black hair that hung over them in thick strands.  They seemed to always be watching him, looking into his thoughts, but of course they weren't, no one suspected him yet.  Draco was always strongly reminded of Mad-Eye Moody, he shuddered at the memory.

"When are we going to be doing something?" Donato shouted in a fit of boredom one night, throwing a stone roughly threw the trees, glaring at it as if it was the source of all this.

Draco's ears pricked up.  Maybe they would tell him what was going to happen, he would innocently inquire… innocently.  "Are we meant to be doing anything? I think they're just leaving us out of this for no good reason… or maybe they think we'll get in the way."

Donato looked up, eyes brighter than usual in the moon light, making Draco flinch slightly as soon as their eyes made contact.  "We are not meant to be doing anything until after the first attack; after the war starts."

"What will we do? Run round and scare a few little kids with our big teeth? We are sitting outside a school here, that's all we can do! Why don't we just attack the school now and take over it so the Ministry will give in?" Draco snorted.

"You want to go attack the school… then go! We'll come back for what's left of you!" Donato looked at him darkly.  "Why do you think we've been here, as far away as possible? We don't dare attack that school as long as that mudblood lover Dumbledore is there."

"Then who is going to attack first?"

"Haven't you been listening Draco?" Dario stood up, "The Death Eaters are attacking first.  They're going to go hunt down and kill Mudbloods at Morar Hill as an example.  Then, when Dumbledore goes to stop them, by order of the ministry no doubt, we attack the school."

Draco sat taking all this in and sending it on to Dumbledore through his thoughts.  "What if he doesn't go?"

"Then we go help the Death Eaters.  Dumbledore's own fault if he doesn't go to help, then again, he loses something either way!" Dario laughed.

"Why don't we just go help the Death Eaters anyway? Safe us the bother of waiting here."

"You've answered your own question Draco.  If Dumbledore does go then we can take hold of the school, force the Ministry to give in or we kill the students one by one.  We can send information to the Dark Lord about Dumbledore's movements and spring on the school when it's weakest if we stay here too.  Were you not told this Draco?" Donato raised an eyebrow.

"… er… yeah, of course… I've just forgotten most of it through all that torture they put me through.  I remember now though." Draco replied quickly.  Dario and Donato both looked at each other.  Draco panicked and changed the subject as quickly as possible.  "S-so… how about those stars, eh? Pretty bright!" he jerked his head upwards to look at them, avoiding Donato's unnerving glance.

*~*~*~* (Rushed and I hate it…nasty part coming up)

"I never doubted him for a second, I know he could do it!" Fudge clapped when he heard the news from Dumbledore.  Lupin shot him a cold glance at this.

Dumbledore was not so excited and enthusiastic about the news from Draco.  He sat down in his huge red armchair with his pipe in his mouth, thought lines etched on his forehead, silent.

"Professor?" Lupin sat up and frowned at the headmaster.  What could be wrong? They had what they had been looking for and Draco was still alive… well, so to speak.

"Something doesn't feel right.  It all seems too easy," Dumbledore said slowly.

Fudge waved his hand impatiently as if waving the idea away with an exasperated sound, "Oh come now Dumbledore.  One thing goes smoothly and you get suspicious.  Can't you just understand that we are winning; we have the upper hand here! We send the Order to this Morar's Hill and take the Death Eaters by surprise while we send out slayers to destroy those creatures in the forest."

"Yes, I understand that Cornelius, it's just that vampires are intelligent creatures.  Can they be trusted?"

"You trust that blonde thing with our lives!" he retorted.

"I trust Malfoy because he's on our side, he is a half vampire and not a danger.  Now Minister," he raised his hand to stop Fudge from speaking, "We are not having this conversation about Draco again.  Sit please, I have something to say about this."

Fudge sat down slowly beside Lupin, who shuffled away slightly as if not wanting to be near the Minister.

"We managed to see through Draco as soon as he changed back.  We could tell he was not one of them… how is it possible that they can't see it? Perhaps they can see, they are just toying with him… toying with us."

"The worst they can do is kill him now that he knows, they probably just wanted to have some fun first," Fudge said casually as if Draco was just a guinea pig in an experiment.

Lupin sighed, "Use your head sir, they could be filling us in with false information."

"Or perhaps that's what they want us to think.  There is no telling Remus.  They are very intelligent and unpredictable creatures." Dumbledore replied, "That is why I am worried and more confused than ever."

"We send people to that place anyway surely, in case it is real and we are just being paranoid," Fudge said as if it were final.

"What if they're ready for us?" Lupin asked.

"Then we'll just have to be ready for them then won't we?" Fudge nodded.

Lupin and Dumbledore still looked doubtful.

*~*~*~*

Draco was feeling very pleased with himself for once.  He was still alive… sort of… and he had gathered the information they needed.  All he had to do now was to get out.

_Need good excuse… think Draco think! He thought as he ducked under the low entrance to where they slept._

Draco never liked it down here.  It smelt like mouldy, wet earth and it was very often flooded from heavy rain.  You know how scary it is to wake up under water? It would've been dark for any human but vampire's sense of sight was stronger… even then it was dark enough to make them tread on each other.  It made Draco think of death, being buried under the ground, sleeping a death-like sleep.

He was just skidding down the mount of wet earth when he heard Donato's voice in a low whisper.  "Funny to watch really isn't it? Told you it's more fun if you toy with them!"

Draco was about to go in and ask what was up when Dario's voice came to his ears, filled with a sort of laughter he had never heard from him before.  "Yeah, I'll give you that one! Malfoy is just so gullible it's too easy! Just think how he'll react when he realises he has just caused a war!"

"Shhh!" Donato hissed, "You never know who will be listening!" Draco could hear movement.  "I smell a human…"

Draco frowned in a confused manor.  _Human?He thought.  He didn't have long to linger on this, for suddenly a hand was pinning him up against the wall of mud and blue eyes bright, almost luminous in the dark underground room.  "Or should I say… __half human?" he grinned, showing his sharp teeth._

Draco didn't know how he knew he had been there but he knew that he had to run, tell Dumbledore it was all a trap, stop the war… but how? He now had no information what-so-ever.

With a glare, he pushed Donato off him, into the wet mud of the floor.  He ran out of the lair with difficulty, the slope was very slippy with loose and wet mud, more than once he found his face covered in it as he fell over.  He eventually made it out and made no hesitation in starting to run out of the clearing and into the forest itself.

"STOP HIM!" Dario called, but his voice was at a distance.  

Draco never knew he could run this fast.  Trees were a blur as he seemed to be putting no effort into it but then again, he didn't know this was normal for vampires, he had had no need to ever run this fast before now.  He could hear people following him, how many… he didn't know and he didn't want to think.  All he had in his mind was how he was going to get out of the forest alive.

_You won't get out of here alive Malfoy!_

_Give it up!_

_There's no point in trying!_

_GIVE IN!_

"NO!" Draco yelled out loud to the voices in his head from the other vampires.  They were full vampires, they could run faster… much faster.  It was only a matter of time before they caught him.  He'll just have to outsmart them.

Too late.  He felt something grab his shoulder and drag him to the side.  Everything went into an even bigger blur and he felt pain as sharp things scratched his face and hands and huge blows to the head. It was a while before he realised that he and another had fallen into a large ditch.

Blinking he sat up and rubbed his head.  He had no time to take in his surroundings, for a strong grip had him by the throat and had shoved him roughly back to the wet, muddy ground.  Draco's eyes flew open in horrible surprise at this sudden attack, he saw not Dario or Donato holding him, it was Antonio, the oldest of them all and leader of the clan.  His grey hair was knotted and it hung untidily over his forehead, brushing against Draco's face.  His stormy grey eyes were fixed on Draco's silver ones as he grinned maliciously.

"We told you there was no sense in running, we would find you and catch you in the end," he grinned wider.

Draco found the nerve to glare and spit, "Listen, if you're going to kill me at least do it now!" _Then I won't get blamed for this war… or at least they wouldn't be able to kill me for it!_

Antonio laughed, "No my dear boy, I'm not going to kill you and neither is anyone else here.  We have other plans for you.  You see, we know how you are different from us and how we can play this to our advantage.  Yes you are becoming like a living quaffle but this time you are in our possession and you will stay there til we reach the goal, obeying the master's orders once again and leading those little friends of yours to their deaths."

"No, I will tell them that everything you lot have told me is a lie!" Draco struggled.

"No, you won't," Antonio said confidently with a grin.  "Not if you are on our side, working for us and telling them what we have told you is true!"

"I would never do that and there is no way in hell you can make me!" Draco wished that his arms were free from under his back so he could get his cross out from under his high-necked shirt. 

"You really think that Draco? Well, you are so naïve to think that because there is one way and there is no going back from it.  You will be with us forever, fighting for us," at that point, he raised one arm; one was enough to keep Draco from getting away.  Draco flinched, thinking he was going to strike with it but nothing came.  Instead when he looked up, he saw dark red blood flowing freely down Antonio's arm.

Draco's eyes widened.  He knew what was going to happen, he had been told about how he had not fully changed because he had not taken immortal blood; a vampire's blood.  It wasn't Raven's he needed, it could've been any of them, any immortal blood was enough to trigger it as if flowed through him.  He would not take it.

"Drink this Malfoy, it will all be over soon.  All those fears and emotions will go away forever."

He didn't want them to go.  He wanted to feel emotions, he wanted to stay as he was… to be close to Hermione and Harry, work with them.  He didn't want to be a soulless, hollow creature like the rest.  Like what he had once been.

He kept his mouth firmly shut, even as he felt the cold blood drip onto his lips from the other vampire's wrist.  

_No… please no… I can't… I won't! he thought determinedly, but no sooner had he said that than the tiniest dribble of blood managed to seep through his lips and onto his tongue.  He absent-mindedly swallowed it and after that, there was no stopping him taking the blood._

(Cliffies! I love them! Hehehe, I just thought I'd be mean.  Will take me AGES to update now cos guess wot? I've been persuaded to write an original story on Fiction Press! . working on it for a while now and I hope it's ok… plot is hard to work out along with my OCs and stuff.  I need more girls so any help there will be much appreciated! I need mystical creatures too… I already have an army of vampires and werewolves! Need nicer ones now! Lol, thanx again and please review on this chappie and if any of you are interested in helping me wit my story then do say! And Loki… hurry up wit ur fic! Lol, c yas!)


	19. Chapter nineteen

**Chapter Nineteen**

(ARGH! Writers block… damn it to hell!!! I've had it with both my stories for two weeks now! Hopefully this chappie will be OK, I got writers block halfway through and spend most of my writing time staring at the screen with a blank mind! That's why it's later than normal! Ori story is going fine btw, and thanx for the reviews, I'm so loved!!! *hugz* This chappie is important for the chappie after next, I think… and there is a fight at the end that reminds me of the Matrix! Sry it's long btw… in case you hate chappies like that ..  I'm, also very sorry that humour seems to be fading out of my story but I'm a bit preoccupied… I'll try my bestest to keep the standard up.  **I THINK THIS CHAPPIE IS TOO LONG! PLEASE TELL ME IF YOU THINK IT IS, NOT OTHER CHAPPIE WILL BE AS LONG AS THIS IF YOU ALL COMPLAIN!!!)**

Wet mud stained every visible inch of his once black outfit along with blood dripping from his mouth onto his clothes.  His hands were blood stained from where he had tried to wipe the blood off his face and the mud was hardening in his white hair.  He was staggering back up the gravel path to the school entrance with dizziness, he often felt like he was going to faint at any moment, but at the same time he felt like he could make a show of impressive back flips and somersaults.  Strong and weak at the one time, it was strange.  He could feel blood filling his body, making him feel as sick as he felt powerful.  

The rain poured now, drenching him further and making it harder for him to see and walk.  He didn't care in the slightest; his thoughts were on other things.  Before he had been set free by Antonio, he had told him what the real plan was… what he was to do.

He was in the Entrance Hall now, wet boots squeaking as he walked leaving muddy trails behind him, Filch will have his head for it, he was sure.  It was dark outside from the winter months but it was only around dinner time.  He could hear the commotion inside the hall.

He had to tell them… he had to say something before he lost control of himself once again.  He knew what he had done and he had felt like crying at the thought, but not only was it so unlike him to do that, it was also too late.  What was done was done, but he could at least warn the others first.

He continued to limp over to the huge doors of the Great Hall and he swung them open.

*~*~*~*

Hermione chased her peas around the plate with her fork, a blank look on her face.  She eventually got bored with them and looked up at the enchanted ceiling, which was black and the rain was pouring down endlessly.  Her thoughts were directed towards Draco in the forest, cold and wet.  She wondered if he thought about her at all.  She hadn't stopped thinking about him, which seemed to be annoying her two friends, one in particular… no prize for who can guess who!

"There she goes again…" Ron sighed and put on a higher more girly voice, "Oh, I hope he's ok… Oh no it's raining, and he's out there… Oh, Oh, I hope he comes back soon!" he mimicked.  "I hope he comes back soon too, it'll stop her whining! Then again, it is better to listen to than her usual ranting about the N.E.W.Ts…"

Harry cringed and was glad he wasn't sitting in between the two of them like usual.  He knew Ron was pushing it by the look of disgust over Hermione's once blank and thoughtful face.  She looked ready to slap him as hard as she could when there was a rather horrific disruption.

A barely recognisable figure burst into the hall, every fibre of clothing seemed to be covered in either mud or blood.  He was practically tripping over himself until he finally stopped at the top near the teacher's table.

Every face was turned in Draco's direction, each with a look of horror or shock or both.  Once again the whole hall fell silent at his presence.

He began to try to speak but all that could be hear was a strange choking sound before his legs gave way and he fell limply to the floor.  No sooner had begun to fall than the teachers rushed to his side.  Lupin held up his head and began to shake him gently.  "Draco… talk to me… Draco?" He noticed the blood on his face straight away and he feared the worst.

"Draco what happened?" Dumbledore got down on his old, weak knees and spoke softly, before Lupin could comment.

Draco finally managed to spit out two words that were very faint and soft, but the hall was so quiet with fear and anxiety that both words could be heard as clearly as though he had shouted them.  "F-fake… evil…" With that, his blood-shot eyes rolled back in his blood covered head and he fainted.

"Draco? Wake up! What's fake? What's evil, tell us!" Lupin slapped him slightly harder but to no success.

"I don't think slapping the poor boy will help Remus," McGonnagal stood over them, her face, although she tried to keep it neutral, showed pure terror.

Dumbledore was helped up by Snape, "Take him to his room and make sure a fire is lit and for God's sake get him some clean clothes!" he snapped as he helped the headmaster up.  Dumbledore nodded to Hagrid to do so.

Hagrid lifted the limp thing off the floor, cradling him in his arms as if he was a fragile baby.  Hermione was the first student to move.  She ran up beside Hagrid and followed him out, soon followed by Harry and then grudgingly by Ron.  The other students were still sitting in a stunned silence; fearful and full of confusion.

"I knew this would happen… I foresaw this… I sense treachery in the air!" Trelawney was the only teacher not to have moved from her seat.  She rarely ever came to dinner with the rest of the school.  They knew straight away that something was up as soon as they all saw her there but no one lingered on the thought, as soon as the food appeared she was fogotten.

"Oh for God's sake Sybil, SHUT UP!" McGonnagal snapped bitterly.

*~*~*~*

For days the only things on people's tongues were the rumours of what Draco had meant.  Students and teachers alike could speak of nothing but the events of that night.  But still, they would have to live by rumours, for Draco still hadn't wakened.

Any free moment she had, Hermione was bound to be found sitting beside Draco, hoping with all her might that he would just wake up.  She feared that he would be dead, there was no way of telling with vampires… they don't breathe and don't have a pulse.  

"What have they done to you Draco?" she sighed as she rested her head on his motionless chest, tears threatening to spill down her cheeks.  Hatred towards the minister and Voldemort rose inside her.  _It's their fault… they did this… they don't even show any regret… the minister doesn't care that he might have just killed someone and Voldemort is just an evil bastard anyway, he wouldn't care.  _

"_When _you wake up, not if, you are going to get revenge… you hear me?" she whispered to him, kissing his forehead before leaving.

After a long four weeks, Draco finally woke up from his coma-like state… as if nothing had ever happened.

His eyes opened as quickly as if someone had slapped him or poured cold water over his face.  His wide, watery and silvery eyes darted around the room as if he didn't know where he was or how he got there.  The fire at the opposite wall had burned out long ago and little light was shinning through the cracks in the shutters, early morning light.

Draco swore with the pain of his stiff body as he heaved himself up with one arm and leaned on it.  He felt different somehow, sick almost, but it also felt strangely good.  It was strange and a hard feeling to describe, but, he felt weak and strong at the same time, if that was even possible.  No sooner had he thought that than he felt something rising in his throat.  He quickly dodged to one side as he threw up blood onto the stone floor.

Shaking violently, he sat up fully, running a hand through his unnaturally soft and silky hair with a groan.  Something had happened, something important that he had to remember. He sat in silence for a few more seconds before hearing a voice from the far corner of the room.  "Charming… what happened this time then? Fall and knock your head?"

Draco's head jerked up quickly and his eyes rested on the mirror in the distance, but the image of himself was distinct.

"Not in the mood for this!" Draco's voice was cracked and hoarse from not using it for over a week.

"Sor-ry, just a little concerned on how you are treating my body that's all!" the mirror Draco paced left to right.  "I mean, I got a little worried when you didn't wake up for a month…"

"A month?" Draco's eyes widened.  He had thought it had only been a few hours…

"Yeah.  Whatever you did, don't do it again it hurt me!" the image whined pathetically.

"How?"

"I just got shoved about a bit… that bastard tried to take over you again but he couldn't do it for some reason.  He kept backing off in pain… eventually he disappeared.  Care to explain?" his eyes rested on his solid self.

"I wish I could!"

"You have the memory of a goldfish you know that?"

"It'll come back to me!" Draco snapped as he swung his legs around over the side of the bed.  "I'm going to see Dumbledore, so he knows I'm awake and all."

The image smirked as he leaned on the frame, "You might want to put some clothes on first," he nodded.

Draco rolled his eyes as he got out his clean green shirt and black trousers along with a silver belt with a dragon buckle from the huge wooden box at the end of his bed.  "Nah, I'm going to run around the school naked singing the national anthem, and then I'm going to run into the Great Hall and do the can-can upon the tables…"

"What, all of them?"

A pair of socks rolled into a ball thrown in the mirror's direction was Draco's only response.

*~*~*~*

"We need to make a move now Dumbledore! We can't stay any longer or they will over power us.  We must stay ahead of the game!" the minister brought his fist down hard onto the table as if that made it final.

"Not until we know for sure Cornelius, we don't want any deaths due to a major mistake," Dumbledore replied in his usual soft, calm voice.

"We know what's going on!" Cornelius snapped.

"No, we don't minister!" Lupin glared, "We don't know if it's true or not… we also don't know when attacks are imminent! If you want to send the Order and armies out there randomly… you are going to get them killed! To tell you the truth, I think that this is getting ridiculously out of hand, almost out of our control.  It feels as if we are being played here!"

"I won't deny that I have felt that way too Remus," Dumbledore nodded, "But we can't do anything until we know every last detail."

"What if it's too late? We are talking about a full scale war here not some playground tussle!" Cornelius was not calming down.  Everyone's patience and nerves were being tested to the limit.  Lupin's dark rings under his dark eyes were already turning a jet black and his hair seemed to have greyed more.  He looked a wreck.  The Minister looked no better and his face at the moment was an angry red from shouting and arguing with the headmaster.

"Maybe I can help…" a small voice suddenly came from the fireplace.

Leaning against the mantle piece was Draco, bright eyes reflecting the flames so it looked as though his eyes were burning red.  His face was a pale as ever, his hair as it always has been and his movements… possibly more graceful and unnatural than before.

"Ah, Mister Malfoy! Glad to see you are well, please sit down, we need your help." Dumbledore gestured to an empty chair beside himself and the minister with a smile on his face.  He was obviously relieved that Draco had come to settle this argument.

"I'd prefer to stay by the heat, thank you sir," Draco replied quietly with a nod and a slight smile.  Lupin was slightly unnerved at Draco's atmosphere.  Was he the only one who noticed something different about Draco? Or was it just his heightened werewolf senses?

"Of course, yes," Dumbledore cleared his throat.  "Now, Draco.  Do you remember the information you sent us from the rest of the vampire clan?"

Draco laughed softly and shortly to himself, "Straight into business I see.  Well, I hardly remember anything but give me a chance and I will."

Lupin turned round and his mouth was open for a while before he talked, as if thinking carefully about what he was going to say.  "Do you remember bursting into the hall?" he asked, but before Draco could answer he spoke again, "You said something that didn't make sense.  You said the words, 'fake' and 'evil'.  What did you mean?"

They watched the vampire closely.  He closed his eyes and bowed his head in thought with his arm resting on the mantelpiece.  He didn't move or make a sound for several minutes, the only sound came from the crackling fire beside him.

Draco thought, he remembered but he was tracing it back.  Something had happened before that, something ter-

He flinched and opened his eyes wide as his mind showed him visions that brought back memories.

The conversation he had over heard, him running through the forest from the vampires, a pair of dark eyes leering at him from above.  He swallowed and he could almost taste the blood he had taken, it made him feel sick remembering it… but… he took vampire blood and he was him… wasn't he? He was so confused, scared almost. 

"Fake…" he suddenly said, his hissing and loud voice cutting through the silence, making the others jump slightly, "the plan they told me at first was fake…" he finished in a slightly dreamy, dazed way.

"Thought so…" Dumbledore smiled at the Minister, almost gloating.

"What? Fake? How?" he stammered, he hated being corrected.

Draco shrugged, "They wanted to throw me off I guess.  I overheard them saying it was fake."

"Did you hear the real plan at all?" Lupin asked.

"Yup… they are going to attack the school. So Professor," he looked up at Dumbledore, "It's best you stay here, they might not attack with you here.  And it's London they are attacking… any wizarding home and the Ministry of Magic HQ but of course they were hoping that you would all be gone to the fake location.  It'll be a surprise for them when they see you all there waiting for them!" Draco smiled.

"Any idea when?" Cornelius was the first to ask this.

Draco laughed shortly, "Could be any time after the new year apparently," he repeated all that Antonio had told him, "I guess it's their new year's resolution to destroy and take over the wizard world!"

Dumbledore nodded thoughtfully, "And the 'evil'?" Everyone looked at Draco, awaiting his response although not looking forward to it.

Draco closed his eyes again, pretending to be remembering this but he was really debating the idea of telling them that he had drank vampire blood… and that he had thought that he was going to be evil once again…

_No! They will never trust you! You'll be outcasted… they might kill you!_

_Don't be stupid! Go on! You have proof! The cross, show them the cross!_

The two ideas fought furiously inside Draco's head until he had settled.  He would tell them.

"It… I… the-"

Draco didn't get to finish, for the door was flung open and a frantic, terrified Professor Trelawney ran in, her eyes wide behind her glasses and shawl flying out behind her.

Remus rolled his eyes and sighed as he buried his head in his hands out of pure exasperation.  The Minister hadn't even taken his eyes off the vampire, studying him, and Dumbledore was looking at the exhausted teacher in front of him.

"Yes, Sybil?" he asked, looking over his half-moon spectacles.

"Terrible… horrible… news…" she breathed.

"What's new?" Draco muttered under his breath by the fire.  Knowing how overly dramatic Trelawney was, he went back to staring into the flames, lapping up the heat into his cold body.

"What is it Sybil?" Dumbledore replied in a calm voice in hope it would rub off onto her.  He was always calm… was it only Draco that got annoyed by this?

"The signs… my whole class saw the same things in their orbs and I too am seeing it every night in my dreams…" she had calmed down after several counts to ten with deep, obvious breaths.

"Well, there's something to write to the Daily Prophet about…" Draco said out loud, louder than he intended.

Trelawney looked over at Draco, her eyes showed anger and hate, something Draco was used to in a look towards him, but not this way… it seemed to burn right through him yet making him feel cold inside, even with the heat from the fire.

""It is your fault, you will be the deaths of us all, vampire!" she hissed with venom, her voice was strangely low and, as much as Draco wouldn't admit it, scary.

"That's enough Sybil!" Dumbledore raised his voice.  Had he not heard what Draco had heard in that sinister way?

"Rivers of blood within these walls… the evil is here with us whilst he stays!" she pointed a long, pointed finger with long, sharp and brightly coloured fingernails at him as she glared.

Draco stared, face as blank as he could make it in such a situation.  _She's nutters… gone mad… but something still made him panic.  Her voice… her eyes…_

Lupin was at Trelawney's side, "Come on Sybil, we'll get you some coffee… and some pills along with a little trip to the nut nurse…" he added under his breath with a roll of his tired eyes.

*~*~*~*

"DRACO!" Hermione screamed when she saw him that night at dinner.  She threw down her fork with a clatter, not noticing that it fell off her plate and stabbed Ron in the leg.  I'd rather not go into too much detail on what he said after that…

She ran over to him and gave her friend a tight hug, almost as if she didn't want to let go of him.  "Don't ever, ever scare us like that! And NEVER go away again you hear me?"

"You think I'll even consider it after what happened?" Draco snorted as he put his arms around her, hugging her as tight as she did him.  

The Slytherins mocked him and began yelling insults and taunts, not very original ones mind but the mind of the average Slytherin was very simple.  Hermione was about to yell back but Draco silenced her with his finger over her lips.  He looked at Pansy, who seemed to be leading in the jeering (_why is it always the ex's?_ Draco thought with a mental sigh), and suddenly the gravy jug tipped over her knees.  She shrieked and jumped up in a shot but she fell backwards over the bench, taking the people on either side with her with more shrill shrieks that sounded like several banshees had been let lose.

The rest of the houses clapped and cheered and laughed hysterically, but the teachers soon put an end to it… ruin the fun as usual! "Malfoy, don't make me lock you up for a few days and take your magic away!" McGonnagal threatened in 'that tone'.

"They started it!" Draco replied childishly and turned away from the teachers and the bright red face of Pansy Parkinson.  He followed Hermione to the Gryffindor table and the others.

"Don't look too excited to see me Weasley…" Draco drawled sarcastically as Ron ignored him.

"Can hardly contain my excitement…" Ron said dully.

"Watch what you say Weasley I might suddenly decide I'm hungry!" Draco smiled, showing a row of straight, white and very sharp teeth.

"You dare try and I'll open the shutters on you!" Ron threatened back.

"That job's taken by Peeves…" Draco rolled his eyes and sat down beside Harry… something that he would never have thought he'd be doing voluntarily. 

"Where you been the past four weeks Dracula?" Harry put on a cheery tone of voice even though he was anything but.  He knew how much trouble he was in with Voldemort and although he felt safe while he was under Dumbledore's watchful eye, he couldn't help getting that feeling that something was going to happen that would mean pain and suffering for a lot of people.  For some reason, he felt it now more than ever.

"Coma… you?" Draco replied calmly and casually as if it was something he did every couple of months.

"Homework… it's typical really…a war is coming and yet they insist upon homework! My dying thoughts will be wasted on completing essays!" 

"Speaking of which… Draco, you're dead really right?" Hermione said casually, reaching for the gravy.

"Right…" Draco replied uncertainly.

"What were your dying thoughts?" she finished.

"As in what I was thinking before I died?" she nodded.  "Does 'oh shit' count?"

"Hey, that's probably what mine will be!" Harry laughed, "Oh shit, all that for nothing!"

Draco laughed too but he knew what they were doing, he could read their minds like open books.  They were trying to keep the conversation away from what had happened to him and what he had found out.  Perhaps they were hinting very subtly but Draco wasn't in the mood to re-live it, now that he could remember everything.  He didn't want to tell them about the incident with the vampire blood, it made him afraid and he didn't want to scare them.  He knew that the evil spirit couldn't come back and he put all that down to his cross, what else could it be?  His strange, quiet and thoughtful mood lasted right through till late that night.  Harry was still up with Ron doing their fifth potions essay of the month at eleven o'clock, Draco was sitting by the fire, silent.

"It's nearly Christmas for goodness sake, don't we get a break? Isn't Christmas a time for kindness and laziness?" Ron groaned as he let his head slip with a loud thud onto his think potions book.

"Maybe he'll get visited by three ghosts and change his mind about making us work this hard…" Harry sighed as he too gave up and threw his quill down, almost bald with him chewing and picking at it so much in agitation.  Ron continued to complain, but Harry wasn't listening, his attention was suddenly caught by Draco's curious silence, something that wasn't like him, especially seeing as Ron was in the same room as him.

Draco was sat forward on the armchair, his head resting on his hands.  He was staring blankly and unblinking into the crackling golden flames, his face was like a statue's yet Harry could see he was thinking hard about something.  The flames were reflected in his eyes, and once again they seemed to glow a red/orange colour to make him look even more sinister in his thoughtful, plotting position.  The flames danced in his evil eyes, animating his pale, ghost-like face that otherwise would've looked dead.

Harry was beginning to actually worry about him, something he found as a surprise.  Harry had wanted to ask him about the vampire clan, about what had happened to him, but Hermione had told him before he woke up not to bother him about it, that he will tell them when he was ready.  But now that Harry saw him, he became worried that what Draco was keeping from them, may be hurting or scaring him, something that needed to be told and dealt with sooner rather than later.

"He's plotting something…" 

Harry jumped and quickly turned his head to see Ron also looking at Draco.  "Huh?"

"Look at him… he's being so quiet… wouldn't be surprised if he was plotting something…"

"Not this again…" Harry rubbed his head with his hands with a huge sigh.  "He is not evil Ron… he is trying to help us.  He's just been through a lot, you know… give him time."

"I see you've joined the 'we love Malfoy' club," Ron turned away.  "Just remember that I was right last time about him…"

Harry rolled his eyes and turned his head in the other direction.  What was happening? He was putting someone who had been his mortal enemy for six years in front of his best friend.  He hated doing that but Ron was just so stubborn… or maybe he was right and Harry was the stubborn one.  Harry looked over by the fire once again, but Draco had disappeared.  Harry hoped it wasn't because of what was said, or because Draco could read his thoughts…

*~*~*~* (there was a little scene between Draco and Hermione here but it has been moved to the next chappie cos nothing much happens there                                                          

               and this chappie is long enough)

Draco's footsteps echoed around the Entrance Hall as he walked across the landing, he was in a considerably bad mood… Peeves had chased him down the corridor with one of the armour's lances held out in front of him yelling, 'DIE EVIL BLOODSUCKER DIE!!!" while laughing insanely.  Draco didn't see the funny side of it of course, especially when he threw it and it had just grazed Draco's slightly pointed ear.  He knew Peeves hated him but never to the point of wanting to kill him.  His excuse was that it was a joke, something to make sure he was on guard… if that was a joke, he'd hate to see Peeves REALLY wanting to hurt someone.

He was just glaring at the ground, as if it was its fault all this had happened when he heard a bang sound coming from the Great Hall.  Draco's ears pricked up almost as soon as it had happened.  His whole body froze, his sensitive ears listening into the silence for any other sound, twitching every few seconds.  How long he stood in silence, with not even a twitch of movement beyond his ears, he wasn't entirely sure but he didn't hear it again until he relaxed and had glided like water down the main stair case.

This time he jumped at the crash, and now his eyes were wide and his ears were ringing.  It was past midnight, no one would be out never mind in the Great Hall… the torches weren't even lit.  Ghosts don't make a sound… and he had left Peeves behind in the Gryffindor Tower playing happily with his spears still laughing like a mad man… waiting for Draco to return no doubt.  Who or what was it? It wasn't human, not a chance.  Draco had picked up the full vampire's sense of being able to smell a mortal, the smell of blood and heat.  He was always overwhelmed by it here but he never gave in to it, never attacked any of the students even though the vampire inside him was aching for fresh human blood…

Draco shook his head to clear his head of such thoughts, setting them straight, his hands reaching for the door to have a look… it couldn't be that bad… the crashes weren't that loud… perhaps it was just something small… a rat maybe? Yeah, that's it; his paranoid personality was just making him twitchy…

There was nothing he could see straight away.  The Hall was dark but he could see clearly, like a cat, his eyes scanned everywhere as he walked slowly in, making no sound on his feet as if he was floating just off it, not to draw attention to himself.  Something told him it was a bad idea to walk too far in yet he continued.  Curiosity killed the cat…__

A darker patch in the black that surrounded appeared so quickly, Draco didn't stand a chance, even with his own speedy reflexes.  Knocked over, he cried out in total surprise and curled up in defence, teeth bared in attack.  Nothing happened… silence.  He lowered his hands to see where it had gone but all he saw was darkness once again, nothing else in sight other than the four house tables running the length of the hall.  A small sound emitted from a far corner but when Draco turned to see, there was nothing.

Draco was getting angry now, his patience was being tested lately and this was just pushing it.  "RIGHT! WHATEVER YOU ARE, COME OUT NOW! I AM NOT IN ANY MOOD TO TOLERATE THIS RIGHT NOW!" he shouted as he jumped up and spun slowly around in a circle, narrowed eyes searching every corner of the room, his mind playing cruel tricks on him by imagining the sort of creature it might be, what it would do to him...

"Hey, hey, chill D! I'm only playing!" a cheerful yet rather irritated voice broke through the silence from right behind Draco, making him jump back and land in a defensive position.  A pair of dark eyes met his and a smile full of tainted, sharp teeth smiled back at him with a childish pleasure and glee.  Draco's eyes remained narrowed when he recognised him through the darkness.  

"What are you doing here?" he hissed.

"Hey, don't get touchy with me! I just came to see if you're alright that's all!" Dario's eyes also narrowed when he realised Draco wasn't going to greet him warmly, his eyes were scanning Draco as if he was something foul.

Draco stood silent for a moment, thinking.  _He's treating me like a friend… how can- oh… _A light had just been lit in Draco's head.  _He thinks I'm one of them… well to Hell with the Minister I am not pretending anymore! With that, Draco chuckled softly to himself.  "Listen… I'm going to keep this blunt ok?" still smiling, he used every once of speed he had in him to dive forward and grab the smaller vampire by the neck, flinging him like a doll onto the table easily._

The look of surprise on Dario's face was priceless, it was a mixture of shock and perplexity as he looked up into Draco's shinning eyes from the table.  His mind clicked as soon as he looked.  "This isn't right… how can this be right?" he shook his head as much as he could with Draco holding onto his neck.  He was confused, so lost.

"Believe it you little filth-rag," Draco continued to give him that 'don't dare fight back or I'll hurt you' smile.  "Now… I'll tell you what.  You run along back down to your little hole with your evil little friends and stay there and I won't hurt you or wait for Dumbledore to call the department for the disposal of magical creatures… how about that?"

"The second you let go of me… I'll tear you apart Malfoy!" Dario snarled, as if he had ignored what Draco had just told him.  "You're still a newbie and I can easily destroy you!"

Draco's confidence faltered.  He bit his lip without thinking and his sharp teeth ripped through his lips like a knife through butter, but he kept his grip strong on the other boy's neck as his cold, full vampire blood ran down his chin.  It almost made him shiver at the thought of it; he still hated himself for ever taking it, even if he hadn't changed.

Distracted too long.  Before he could do anything, Dario got his feet under Draco's chest and pushed him away with such force, Draco skidded across the hall, swearing loudly and rather colourfully when he slammed into the wooden Hufflepuff table head first.  Dazed for a few seconds, his vision was blurred, but even through that he could see Dario had disappeared once again.

Draco stood up shakily and rubbed his head, glaring at the table as if telling it off for being there.  He growled to himself for letting the vampire take off on him, now they would all be after him again.  _How do you do it Draco? Does trouble find you or do you purposely walk into it? The voice in the back of his head sighed with grief.  He continued to glare as he walked towards the doors of the Great Hall until he felt a great force hit him on the back of his head unexpectedly._

Once again the room began to spin and bright colours swirled in front of his eyes like a rainbow of shooting stars.  His vision returned to him and he realised he was on the floor again, pain instantly forgotten, he jumped up gracefully and stared around the room.  _He's still here…_

Draco jumped and spun round on the spot when he heard Dario's voice calling from the banisters across the ceiling, "I don't know how you did it Malfoy! I don't know how you can defy the laws of nature by not succumbing to the spirit… I don't know and I don't care! All I care about right now is not letting you live! I can't let you go! I can't let you stop us from winning the war that is to come.  You will die and then so will your friends!"

Draco's eyes burned with agitation and anger, they were nothing but furious slits of fire when he ran up to the beam as if there were a flight of invisible steps leading up to them, leaving a trail of angry, red sparks in his wake.  "Shut up… just shut up! I am sick of hearing threats like this! I am fed up with you lot, the way you are constantly on my back, they way you think you are so powerful! Well, let's let this fight settle it then shall we?"

Dario's smile grew wider, revealing a set of long sharp teeth in a menacing grin, Draco could see it from where he was standing.  "It's been nice tormenting you Draco, shame I have to do this.  Everyone waking up in the morning to see a big pile of ash and no Draco to be found… never know, your little mudblood girlfriend might want to keep your teeth…"

Draco dived at Dario, who was standing on the beam opposite.  Dario was more experienced, quicker; he leaned backwards and spun around on the banister as if gravity didn't have any effect on him.  "Tut tut… novice…." He grinned.

Draco had never expected this from Dario.  Donato, well, this was all he expected off him.  Dario always seemed the quiet one to him but then again, it was always the quiet ones you had to keep your eye on at all times.

Stretching out his arms, Draco grabbed onto the wooden rafter behind Dario, climbing up onto it as quickly as he could, glaring all the time.  The ceiling above them poured down dry, magical raindrops onto their heads, no light shone through from behind the clouds.

"I'm getting bored Draco!" Dario taunted.  "Is this all you can challenge me with?"

Draco still hadn't fully mastered his magic, in a way it was a good thing.  He could feel his hands and fingers heating up with hot sparks of magic flowing through them, threatening to escape at any moment.  He concentrated on hurting Dario as hard as he could as he threw up both his hands, emitting red and orange sparks of what looked like electricity straight towards the other vampire.

Dario had expected this, he could sense Draco's rising anger and he noticed the sparks begin to jump from the ends of his fingers.  Holding up both his hands, he caught the spell before it could hit him.  It was strong, he'd give him that much credit, his whole body was trembling with the stain of holding onto it.  Then, with one simple flick of a hand, the spell changed direction, back to its conjurer.  

Draco didn't know how to reflect, he had concentrated mostly on attack over the summer when he was learning to control his magic but he tried.  Holding up both his hands, he concentrated real hard on it, more so than when he did conjuring it.  It was never to happen.

The spell hit him straight in the chest, surrounding him in a fiery glow, winding him and throwing him easily backwards like a bludger hit by a beater with enough force to drive him straight through the two remaining beams and crash with a nasty, loud crunch into the wall.  The last thing he remembered was being wrapped in darkness, he didn't even remember the fall to the stone floor.

The first thing he saw was darkness.  He panicked, especially when he felt the pain over his body.  It took him several minutes to realise what had happened.  Draco furiously swiped at the dark material that covered him until he could see the hall again.  Only then did the pain really set in.  He cried out and swore, cradling his left arm in his right, the bone sat out awkwardly from when he had landed on it.  _Could've been worse… he thought as he stood up shakily and drunkenly from the red curtain that had buried him.  He looked up and sae the damage he had caused.  Several beams were broken and shattered wood littered the stone floor, it was a miracle no one had been wakened.  And there, hovering above the wreckage, was Dario._

"Still alive I see… well, you're stronger than I thought.  Don't look too good though, looks like a breath of air could kill you instantly!" he taunted a bit more as he swooped down gracefully and silently to the ground.

Draco didn't move, he couldn't; the pain in his body was too great.  "You going to kill me then Dario? Go back to your little clan as a hero?"

"Eventually, yes I think I will just do that.  But I haven't finished playing with you yet!" Dario slowly glided towards him, threateningly.  "You're such a fun toy to play with Draco… just like the dolls my sister had… before I ripped their heads off…" with that, he aimed a sharp blow towards Draco's head, but this time, Draco was ready for it.  He put up his good arm up to block the hit with a defiant glare.

"Oh, very good, you can defend yourself!" Dario talked to him as if he was a baby.

Draco had had enough, he fought back.

The fight which followed was a vicious one, one of speed and force.  Draco was already in torment with the pain from earlier but he couldn't let Dario have his way… he couldn't.  His arm ached and complained with the strain by sending sharp waves of pain through him, his head pounded and his back got worse.

Dario fought dirty, none of his moves could be considered legal in a set up fight and all the time, their hands moved so quick, to a human it would've been a blur of black and white.  A sudden spell that seemed to come out of nowhere blew the two of them to opposite sides of the hall.  Who cast it was not a worry at the moment but the fight had come to a pause as both of them were thrown across the room and they skidded along the floor.  

Draco looked up, head shaking, blood flowing freely down his face and from his hands.  His broken arm was bound to be shattered by now but he didn't care… he just watched Dario carefully as they both slowly stood up, his cross escaped from behind his high- necked coat.  Dario also didn't take his eyes off Draco, even as blood dripped into the from a large gash across his eye brow, leaving the skin open wide, the red blood in his eyes made him look more angry than ever.  Neither of them moved, eye to eye all the time.  Both knew that this was going to be the final blow.

Dario started running first, full speed towards Draco who soon followed suit.  Faster than anyone could blink, they were within range of each other.  Draco knew that Dario would try to hit first, so he had his defence sorted.  Dario did lash out first, Draco was ready.  With a swift movement, he leaned backwards and jumped back with a grin, knowing Dario would miss.  He did, but only just.

Draco then felt a sting on the back of his neck and he heard a metallic snap.  He hadn't even began to figure out what it had been before he heard a shriek if agony coming from Dario.  He looked over to see the smaller vampire recoiling and spinning round in circles, trying to fling something off his hand, crying out in suffering and distress the whole time before he disappeared in a small cloud of mist, without so much as a glance back at Draco or a threat.

Draco stood motionless for what seemed like a long time, then his injuries caught up with him.  Slowly his hearing began to grow more and more like he was under water and slowly going deeper under the surface.  Distantly, he could hear voices and a door opening but his vision went black and he collapsed of pure exhaustion and pain.

(Too long? It was wasn't it? (6,000 words and 11 pgs!!!) I'm so sorry I got carried away! I hope you all liked it any way, please review! I'd like to take this opportunity to thank all who reviewed last time! And yes, vampires can btw (she knows who she is and what she asked, lol!) And Slayer, thanx for all the reviews you gave, I loved them all, they made me laugh! And thank you soooo much for your compliments Serpensortia and Loki! My ori story is doing well and I hope you all like it, it will be up in the new year some time (just before my BIG evil exams) and my next chappie of this is on x-mas day as my pressie to you! 

Bye byes! Love you all! Xxx Caz))


	20. Chapter Twenty

**Chapter Twenty**

(Thank you so much for your support everyone! I've been going through a rough time lately cos of my mock GCSEs and stuff… not to mention writer's block with 2 stories! I'm so glad you have been so patient and are still reviewing and waiting for me to update without any threats… yet! Anyway, I love you all for it! Just for that I'll work extra hard to find some time to write… history mock or not! Bloody Nazis and communists ruin everything… and I want to know who invited me to some fic thingy for valentines… It will annoy me till I know!  
Just to say, if you want to read my ori story (please do! It seems to be crashing and burning already and it hasn't even started practically… only one major char has been introduced for crying out loud!) the addy is at the bottom of this chappie… thank you so much again *hugs* and enjoy!... now… can I remember the plot myself… . D'OH!)

"ARGH! GET IT OFF! GET IT OFF!" 

Heads jerked up as the sudden shriek reached them from thin air.  They saw Dario dancing around like a madman, his arms flailing wildly around the air as he screamed in agony.

"What is it Dari?" Donato raised an eyebrow, fighting the urge to laugh at the sight of his friend.

"GET IT OFF!" Dario repeated, louder and more urgent.

Donato rolled his eyes to the group of girls surrounding him and mouthed 'be right back' with a wink before walking slowly up to his friend.  "What's wrong with you now?" he sighed breathlessly.

"CROSS! CROSS!" Dario flung his right hand up.  It was blackened badly, burnt to the colour of charcoal by the cross that was tangled in his fingers by a shinny silver chain.  The black was spreading across his hand rapidly as he grew weaker to it.

"ARGH! For God's sake Dari don't put it near me!" Donato half hissed, half shrieked as he turned away on reflex, throwing his arms up to shield him.

"Will you at least help me?! Get it off!" Dario glared, tears of blood beginning to form in his dark eyes.

"Hell no, I'm not touching it!" Donato backed off.

"DON!" Dario whined in pain and disbelief at his friend.

"OK, OK! Chill!" Donato still had his eyes closed but he turned around, waving at Dario to calm him.  "Just… hold still…" he cringed, thinking he must be mad to do this.  He reached out to grab it but drew his hand back several times with his eyes half closed and his teeth gritted.

"DON! JUST GET IT OFF! I DON'T CARE IF YOU HAVE TO TAKE MY FINGERS OFF WITH IT!"

Donato then wrapped his hand around the deadly cross and with a yell of pain, he tugged at it.  It must've been a strange sight, two teenage boys screaming and dancing around in the middle of the forest.  The girls were giggling uncontrollably at the sight and the cross wouldn't budge.

"How do you do it Dari? You're an idiot!" Donato snapped, his teeth still gritted in pain, the cross now burning his hand coal-black.  Without warning, the chain suddenly snapped with a small click, it flew out of Donato's hand and landed in the centre of the group of giggling girls.  Shrieking like a pack of banshees, they leapt up and ran down the tunnel, their screams fading away as they ran deeper down away from the demon object.

Dario and Donato sat in silence for quite a while, each watching their injuries fade from black back to the pure white their skin was, each in pain.

"Owe…" Dario winced as he cringed at his wound.  The cross had burnt him so badly, part of his hand didn't heal and it remained black and flaky like ash.  He touched it and small flakes of ash fell to the forest floor.

"It's your own fault! You are such an idiot Dari, honestly!" Donato snapped with venom as he rubbed his healing hand.  Resentful that Dario had gotten into this and dragged him into it, causing him such agony.

Dario glared but didn't reply.  He was beating himself up inside for retreating from Draco in the fight.  He was so close to winning, to being praised for killing him…

"Where did you get it anyway?" Donato asked the key question.

"I…Well, I went to visit Malfoy… see how he was…" he replied, leaving the sentence unfinished and not looking up from the blackened dip in his hand.

"And?" Donato prompted, not looking at Dario either.

"He's done it again Don! He has escaped us again!"

Donato sighed, "So what? Leave him! We'll just kill him like the others when the time comes… Stop changing the subject Dari, where'd you get it?" Donato now looked up, the anger and hurt in his bright eyes noticeable, which was strange for a vampire.

"He had it around his neck and we can't wait to let him die…Antonio told him everything!" Dario snapped.

All this strange information made Donato sit and think for a while, looking at his friend the whole time.  It took a while for all the information and there significance to set in.  "Everything?" he laughed softly, "You're joking right?"

Dario shook his head and edged away, knowing that this would make his friend more enraged.

"Did you not kill him?!" Donato's face showed disbelief but he had that insane smile on his face.

"I would've killed him if it wasn't for that… that… _thing_!" Dario pointed to the cross.

Donato threw his arms up in the air as he jumped up with a cry of anger.  "WHY?! WHY… MUST… HE… DO THIS?!" he kicked up dust and stones in pure rage.  "AND YOU!" he rounded on his friend, "YOU LET HIM GET AWAY!"

"We'll tell the master, he'll know-" Dario backed off a little more.

"NO!" Donato turned and pointed a long, white finger at his friend before he could finish.  "We won't tell him this time.  We will take this into our own hands, we're going to sort this out ourselves… if it kills us!"

"Nearly killed me…" Dario hissed under his breath before speaking out loud, "And what do we do? I've tried to fight! They'll expect us to come back now!"

"Well, whose fault is that then?" Donato spat with a childish edge to his voice.

With a glare, Dario replied, "We could just kill him in his sleep.  No one will be around him then!"

"Yeah… we could do that…" Donato looked thoughtful.

"Really?" Dario was taken aback by this.

"Yeah… why don't you go and try that.  Tell me what the sunlight is like I've forgotten… oh yes that's right, you'll just be a pile of ash carried off by the wind!" his face changed from thoughtful to sarcastic to irritated.  "Honestly! Do you even think before you speak or act?"

"AT LEAST I'M TRYING!"

"NOT HARD ENOUGH!"

The two turned away from each other, fury surging through them.  Silence was around them but all each could hear was a ringing in their ears from anger and the shouting.

"Cross…" Dario half whispered, his eyes narrowed in thought.

"UNDERSTATMENT!" Donato yelled.

"Not angry cross, I meant _the_ cross… he was wearing it… but he's a vampire…how?"

This made Donato think hard for the first time in years.  It confused him too but he decided to have a go at trying to explain it.  "Well, let's look at why we hate crosses huh?" his anger that was so recent was soon put aside as he concentrated on this.

"Religious symbol… we are dark, evil creatures… only those can over power us…" Dario said as if he had a book right in front of him.

Donato shook his head and didn't comment.  "But he's not a full vampire… he mustn't be repelled…"

"No, he doesn't have a spirit re-" Dario's eyes widened.

"What?" Donato raised an eyebrow.

Dario always had been the smarter of the two, the one who always worked things out.  He had more brains for the logical things… even if he lacked common sense.  "I know why he has it… and I know how we can get rid of him without it being linked to us! We just have to turn his friends against him…" an evil grin crawled up his face.  It looked so out of place on his young features, it was that of an older, evil genius who had just cornered his victim, like a cat and a helpless mouse.  Even Donato took a step away from his psychotic friend; normally he would be the one to grin that way and seeing it on his shyer, quieter friend was disturbing.  Things were changing.

Dario laughed an evil laugh that was so unlike him and told Donato his plan.  All the time, with that same look of triumph and iniquity.

*~*~*~*~*

"Nice decorating you did in the Hall Draco I must say…" Dumbledore smiled at the vampire, who was cleaning up the last of the dried blood from his face.  "At least you were only unconscious for a few hours this time."

"Hmph.  I didn't mean to wreck the hall…I was fighting for my life you know, well, so to speak.  Anyway… glad you like the blood stains, they'll be there for a while! Lucky Filch hasn't found me yet…"

Dumbledore chuckled, "Yes.  Vampires trying to get revenge will be the least of your worries then.  Who was it again?"

"Another vampire called Dario… he disappeared before you walked in.  I can't believe that they're still out to kill me, I mean, what did I ever do to them… really?" Draco turned round to look at Dumbledore.

 "You're safe here Draco… don't worry," Dumbledore got up and walked out of Draco's room.

"Just like I was safe last night? I could've been decorating the hall with my body in ash form," Draco whispered to himself with a sigh.

He put a hand to his neck, feeling for his cross as if it would suddenly come back if he did, it hurt at the back where it had snapped off.  Now he couldn't tell them about the vampire blood, he had no cross to prove he wasn't possessed by the evil spirit.  How come it wasn't trying to come back? 

He looked up around his room.  The mirror in the corner had been turned away… Draco had gotten fed up with his reflection taunting him.  The last straw was the 'stop hitting yourself joke' when Draco had lashed out at the image in a fit of rage one day.  Although the image could no longer be seen his voice, unfortunately, remained, "Hello? Draco, you there? All I can see is wall… hello? You hate me! No one loves me…"

All of Draco's injuries had healed themselves with Draco's powers but the phantom pain was still there.  He would cringe when he leaned on his right leg and lifted his left arm.

_Go look at the book… it might tell you how the cross works… _a voice in his head ordered him.  It was all Draco had as an answer, so he obeyed.

The book was in Lupin's classroom, which always had its shutters wide open.  He could've waited for night fall but curiousity got the better of him.  Curiosity was always something he could never take control over, if he wanted to know something, nothing would stop him from finding out.

"Hey! I can hear you leaving! Don't pretend you can't hear me! You shall not leave until you turn me back around! Hello?" Silence.  "OK fine…"

*~*~*~*

"So I suppose it would be best I teach you how to defend yourself against them in case something like this happens again.  Any questions?"

Lupin stared round the classroom.  Each student was sitting eagerly, wanting to see the new magic and desperate to try it.  Lupin almost laughed, he had never seen a class of seventh years so enthusiastic about something.  No one had their hands up, each itching to see these curses.

"Great!" Lupin stood up straighter and smiled.  "First of all, you never know when a vampire will attack so the likelihood of you having crosses and Holy water with you is very slim but you should have your wand, if not, my only advice is to run as fast as you can but that doesn't always work, unless you are lucky and find yourself a thick one… they are fast little buggers at the best of times!  So your wand should be with you at all times.  This first curse is harmless to humans but it will torture a vampire, hopefully driving it away.  _Zumbido_!"

Harry cringed, waiting on something to explode or for something horrible to appear from the end of Lupin's wand… but nothing came.  He opened his eyes and cast a glance at everyone else, who were all looking as confused as he was.  Some were rubbing their eyes, other were trying to clean out their ears.  Ron was looking at Lupin with a raised eye-brow, as if he was totally mad.  "Something supposed to happen?"

Lupin just smiled, "I told you, it won't hurt us because we can't hear it.  I bet the owls in the owlery and the cats and rats in your dorms are going insane right now because of this… wonder if Draco can hear it?"

Hermione smiled and almost jumped out of her seat, "Frequency! Vampires are more sensitive to sound than us aren't they?"

"Well done Hermione, five points to Gryffindor! Yes, Vampires have a higher sense of hearing than us.  This is above our hearing frequency but to them it would be torture!"

Right on queue, there was a wave of silver mist and a familiar figure appeared right beside Lupin.  "Hey, have…ARGH! TURN IT OFF! TURN IT OFF!" Draco had just appeared and had barley started to talk before he was covering his ears and falling to his knees yelling.  It was a weird sight to them, they could hear nothing… some (namely Ron) were even laughing.

Lupin quickly ended the spell but Draco was still screaming.  "The shutters! Close the shutters!" with a wave of his wand, the room was plunged into semi darkness.

"Bloody hell Wolf man, you trying to kill me?" Draco glared as he rubbed his delicate pointed ears.

"Hey, did I ask you to come in here?" Lupin then grinned, "What is it? Not like you to come out in the day time."

"I need that book.  The one you got the spell out of for to use my cross…" he hissed so only Lupin could hear.

"Why's that?"

"Curious… and pretty much bored out of my mind!" Draco lied.

"Sure, just do one thing for me first."

"What?"

"Stand over there," Lupin gestured to the wall casually.

"O-K…" Draco replied cautiously as he turned slowly and walked silently over to the wall, keeping a suspicious eye on the teacher.  There was something about that smile on his face… it was too cheery…

"Right, good boy Draco! OK, now another way to stop an attack is to stall them.  This way is friendlier towards any poor little creature who happens to be nearby… but not the vampire," Lupin grinned at Draco.  "I promise I won't hurt you."

"Oh hell no!" Draco shook his head before turning and heading for the door.  

"_Coriz_" he shouted before Draco could get out.

Draco felt a strange, horrible sensation in his chest.  It was painful but it made him feel warm for that split second before he fell unconscious.  Hermione cried out and hid her face in her hands when she saw Draco's face flush red for a second before he blacked out to the floor.  She seemed to be the only one concerned for him as her nails dug into the side of her face… Ron on the other hand was loving it.

"Brilliant! I gotta learn that! He'll never come near me again!" his face was full of childish enjoyment as he saw Draco lying on the floor as if in death.  Hermione was sickened by it and she felt like hitting him… but Harry had caught onto their continuous fights and had strategically sat himself between them. 

"What did you do? Is he alright?" Hermione panicked.  Parvatti and Lavender, who were sitting behind them, both started giggling and whispering as they looked from her to Draco.  

Lupin waved his hand to calm her, "Nothing to worry about Hermione, he'll come round in a minute or to once the blood settles." He cast a look round the class to see if any had caught onto how it worked… blank faces stared back.  _Like talking to a shelf full of dummies… _He thought and sighed, "OK.  We all know that of our hearts stop for the slightest of seconds, we don't have enough blood to our heads and we can faint.  Well, a vampire's heart doesn't work anymore, it's completely dead, so the body has adapted to not needing any blood to flow around it and so any blood that does make it to the head will have the same effect on him as no blood does on us.  All I did was give him a little shock to the heart to make it beat for a second and that was enough to pump blood to his head… causing him to faint… hopefully giving the victim time to run."

"Better start running wolf man because I am about ready to kill for that one… and I'm hungry…" Draco spoke but he didn't move.  All colour was once again drained from his face.

"See… he's fine!" Lupin smiled, but he took several steps away nevertheless.  Ron looked slightly disappointed but Hermione was smiling, which only provoked Parvatti and Lavender into more giggles.

"OK Draco.  The book you wanted was it?" Lupin walked over to his desk, as if Draco had only just walked in.

Draco jumped up and glared, "This a new rule is it? Try to kill students when they ask for favours? Oh charming, very nice indeed!" the irritation in his voice was obvious as he dusted down his long black coat, not even looking at the teacher.

Lupin reappeared from under his desk, an old leather bound book in hand.  "Firstly, it's hard to show students how to defend themselves if I have nothing to cast it on now isn't it? Secondly, I'm sorry but you are not technically a student anymore… more like a haunt." He held out the book to Draco.

Draco cast a look of anger up at the teacher, "Did you take nasty pills this morning or are you always like this first thing? Or maybe it's the full moon tonight…" he snatched the book from his hand and glared before disappearing.

*~*~*~*

"You're out of your damn mind… I mean, it is intelligent for you but… it's insane… you wanting us to-"

"Oh come on! If we pull it off victory is certain! They will never trust him again and won't believe what he has told them… and I'm certain that he has sung like a canary to the Ministry!"

Donato rolled his eyes, "The word _if _is appropriate…"

"But they won't believe a word he tells them! The school will be easy to take over and the Order will be doomed if they ignore his advice!"

"I for one don't want to get caught… it's a delicate time at the minute Dari, we can't go doing extreme things right now!"

Dario nearly laughed, "You do know that this is a complete role reversal.  You lecturing me about it being too dangerous and me wanting to cause havoc?" he eventually did laugh at the thought, it was ludicrous.  "What's happened to you Don? I thought you wouldn't miss a chance like this…"

Donato seemed to go quiet for a minute, staring into the dark unknown of their forest home.  Dario's plan was good… brilliant in fact, but Donato stood by his original thoughts that it was too risky at this point to mess with little problems like rogue vampires…

"Remember back in Piccadilly when we were chased by the vampire hunter?" Donato suddenly asked.

Dario, after his confusion of the sudden reference to the event, laughed with memory.  "The one we hung up-side down from the flag pole after stealing his trousers? HA! A rookie if I've never saw one… you actually call him a _vampire hunter_! Wonder if he still has the squashed nose from when we generously let him down?" Dario looked up to the dark sky in a thoughtful way, his grin showed pure enjoyment.

Donato tried hard not to laugh but his mouth continually twitched into an evil grin.  "That is besides the point… he had us on our toes for a while and very nearly had you if I remember correctly…" he raised his eyebrow at his friend.

"Ah, that's what I wanted him to think!" Dario pointed.  Donato just nodded unconvincingly, not believing him for a second.

"Anyway, we nearly got ourselves wiped off the face of the earth all because we were stupid enough to go pick a fight with him.  I don't want it to happen again and it feels like it's going to if we do this! It will be even worse in fact…because the rest of the clan will be found out and the plan will be blown to pieces!"

Dario's thoughtful look remained but the grin of childish enjoyment disappeared to be replaced by concern.  He sighed as he looked away from the sky and back at his friend, "If we don't do something the plan will be blown to pieces anyway… they will believe every word he tells them and we will be cornered.  Dumbledore will stay at the school and the Order will cut off the Death Eaters at the Ministry headquarters… we need to stop this!"

Donato remained silent for a little while longer before rolling his eyes, "If I agree to go along with this and we both die painful, horrible deaths… so to speak… then can I torture you for the rest of eternity in Hell?"

"If you agree to praise me to the highest degree if it works… the yes," he smiled.  "And we tell no one about it… at least if it does go wrong, then it can't be traced back to us!"

"And the fact that we are suspiciously missing has no affect what-so-ever does it?"

"At least we are already extinct so the master can't hurt us! We can keep our dignity to an extent! But it will work… I'll make sure of it…" he reached into his pocket and ran his fingers over a thick wrap of wolf fur that covered Draco's cross.

*~*~*~*

"HAPPY CHRISTMAS!" a chorus of voices rose up round the hall as people pulled crackers with their friends and stuffed themselves with mounds of turkey and rivers of gravy.

Harry, Ron and Hermione sat and laughed with happiness as they played with their cracker prizes like children.  Harry put on his crown-like hat and began to order Ron around as Hermione laughed, wearing a bright red Santa hat with a bobble at the end that flashed neon colours and sang 'We wish you a merry Christmas' over and over.  Eventually it drove Ron insane and he threw it at the Slytherin table.

"RON!" Hermione snapped, but she was in a too good of mood to stay mad for long, especially when Harry had charmed his sprouts to dance along the table and settle themselves on Seamus' plate without him noticing.  

"What? Like I'm going to eat them!" he replied when Ginny raised an eyebrow at him.

"You child!" she exclaimed with a laugh.

Hermione shook her head with a smile as she turned back to her own Christmas dinner but seeing the sprouts on her plate made her laugh and nearly choke on her turkey.  She was listening to Harry and Ron argue over who's cracker hat was better when a voice in her head drowned out all the others around her.  _Hermione__, I've got something for you… meet me on the roof again, OK?_

She blinked at the suddenness of the voice, even though she knew who it was almost straight away.  She looked over at Ron and Harry, about to tell them where she was going but she thought better when she saw that they were preoccupied hitting each other with the over-sized crackers… 

"Where are you going?" Ginny noticed Hermione leaving.  She stood up as if to stop her.  "Come on! It's too early isn't it?"

Hermione turned her head, "I'm going to see someone, I'll be back… just you make sure none of these two knocks the other out ok?"

Ginny grinned, "Oh, I see… going to 'talk' to the little Dracula aren't you?" she clicked her tongue and raised her eyebrows swiftly.  "I see the way you look at him in the common room!" she put on a very exaggerated love-dazed look and heaved a huge fake sigh.

Hermione laughed and gave Ginny a small, friendly shove, "Hey, I didn't make fun of you when you had that crush on Harry did I? And I don't look like that!" she added this but still blushed deeply.

"Yes, in fact you did poke fun! And It's so obvious you like him Hermione, just admit it! Maybe you need convincing yourself though first… don't you?" 

Hermione blushed further and looked away from her friend.  "I'll be back soon ok?" with that, she turned and left.  Ginny stared after her and shook her head… she was only lying to herself.

*~*~*~* ((Romance coming up! Late Valentines day treat! Normally I hate doing the damn stuff but hey, I need a calm before the BIG storm… hehehehe!!!))

Draco walked along the thin railings, jumping slowly and gracefully from one point to another, coat billowing out behind him in the light but bitter December breeze.  He didn't feel the cold, he felt nothing as he stood out there.  His senses were tingling, something felt so wrong lately and he knew it was more than the fact that he was now a full vampire… something was up, he could almost smell it in the air.

He stopped and balanced on one of the points of the railing, looking out over the snow covered grounds.  It didn't feel like Christmas to him, there were so many other things on his mind and things had taken such a twist that Christmas seemed like a petty human thing that he wasn't invited to celebrate.  He felt more disconnected from everyone else now more than ever, he had gotten used to the idea of being that little bit different but now, he felt on his own in his mental struggle to get through this tough time.  Wait…suddenly he didn't feel so alone… something was watching him, something was there with him.  He could sense it, but he didn't smell the blood and warmth of a human…

He cast a look behind him and just saw the empty roof top as it had been, instead he turned his attention to the white grounds below which had been churned up by vicious snow fights from the students earlier that day.  A flash caught his eyes, a very tiny flash from the forest following slow movement of what looked like a shadow.  Draco's eyesight was very sharp, it didn't take long for Draco to see what it was.

It was another vampire standing on the edge of the forest, leaning against the tree with his arms folded.  His bright eyes were flashing with menace as he grinned.  Draco didn't see him grin… he _felt_ it.  He felt the look of the other vampire on him, he felt their gazes lock.  A pair of bright, icy eyes were watching his every movement… why? Draco glared and thought, _What__ do you want with me?_

He heard the other vampire chuckle evilly in his head.  Draco continued to glare, until a hand on his shoulder snapped him out of it and nearly fall off the railing.  The hand which had touched his shoulder grabbed him by the coat so he wouldn't fall.

"Sorry, didn't mean to scare you!" Hermione half smiled.

"Don't flatter yourself, takes more than that to scare the undead," Draco jumped down beside her and gave her a cheeky grin.  The hairs on the back of his neck were still standing on end, he could still feel the gaze of the vampire on him, on Hermione.

Hermione gave him her 'yeah, sure' look.  "Alright then, whatever you say.  What is it you wanted anyway?"

Draco ignored the feeling of the gaze as best he could and continued as normal.  "Yes, I wanted to give you your Christmas present… by the way, thanks for the book and blood pops.  I could learn a lot from that book… what is it vampires are allergic to again? Onions?" he pretended to look thoughtful but laughed shortly when Hermione did.

"No problem… you know how hard it is to shop for a vampire? A male vampire at that! Guys are hard enough as humans!"

"I know… we aim to torture!" he grinned, "Anyway… present.  Hope you like it…" he took out something wrapped in black cloth with a silver and red ribbon around it.

Hermione took it and found it quite heavy.  She frowned at Draco who nodded to urge her on to open it.  She took the bow and cloth off and gasped with a smile.  It was a silver picture frame with small crosses and hearts engraved and embossed around it.  It had small red jewels spotted all over it and they made her eyes shine with amazement.  It was beautiful, but the picture in the middle had attracted her attention and she found it near impossible to look away.  Waving back up to her, hand in hand was herself and Draco, but he looked different, he looked so human.  It was then she remembered where the picture was from.  She remembered Ginny taking a picture of them together after the whole episode with Voldemort, before Draco was a vampire.  His silvery eyes shone brightly and his hair was a brighter blonde, not white and his face showed more colour yet more stress and strain than now.  She laughed at seeing it, the lake in the background, the clear sky and seeing her picture self throw her arms around Draco and kiss him.  She took her eyes off it and looked at the vampiric Draco in front of her, smiling but not showing his teeth.

"Thank you!" she breathed before doing just what her picture self had done to the picture Draco.

Draco seemed a little shocked at her sudden decision but he soon put his own arms around her.  Even the feeling of the other vampire's eyes on his back didn't annoy him or worry him; the heat from Hermione's body calmed him.

After a short while, Hermione drew back for air, he might not have needed it but she did.  She still stayed in his arms, holding his cold body to her in a weak attempt to warm him.  Her head rested on his chest and it felt strange to hear no heartbeat or feel his heart pounding against her like it used to sooth her, but now it just reminded her that sooner or later, they will have to say goodbye.  He will stay young forever, never age, she will grow old and die… she held onto him tighter as if this would stop it from ever happening.  She remembered the last time she clung to him like this, it was before he was going to leave her to go on that mission.  For some reason, when they were like this now, she felt as though she was about to nearly lose him again.

"I take it you like it then?" Draco whispered, he felt the need to whisper, as if he was breaking some sacred law if he was to raise his voice any higher.

"I love it…" she said but thought, _Just__ like I think I love you…_

Draco smiled but he didn't listen to her thoughts, instead he cast his eyes round to where the vampire was once standing… he was gone.  He still worried now, that to get revenge on Draco for what he had done to Dario… they would take it out on his closest friends… now they knew how close Hermione was to him.  He began to worry but showed none of it as he continued to stand with Hermione cuddled up to him in her soft fluffy coat.

*~*~*~*

"Well, did you see him?" Ginny asked when Hermione came back in, shivering and heading straight for the warm fire of the common room.

"Yeah… he just wanted to give me a present," she took off her gloves and rubbed her hands together.

"OOH! Can I see?" Ginny leaned over as Hermione took out the picture frame and handed it over to her.  Ginny's eyes widened, "Wow, he must really like you! This is so pretty, look at the little red things and… hey, is that the picture I took of you two? I was wondering why he asked me for it!"

Hermione just laughed to herself as Ginny handed it back.

"It would've been so cute if you two got together… you know… if he wasn't a vampire," Ginny chose her words carefully but they still seemed to sound quite harsh, looking at what could've been.

Hermione sighed.  She still felt as though it was her fault; if she'd stayed to talk with him that night then maybe it all could've been avoided… she shook her head to get rid of those ideas, before she cried at the guilt.

Ginny sensed Hermione's mood and gave her a friendly hug, "I'm sorry…" she said sadly before walking up to her dormitory.

At the same time, Draco was sitting on the edge of his bed, torn between thoughts of Hermione and thoughts of the vampire he'd seen.  

_What are they up to?_

_Do I actually love her?_

_Why was he staring at me like that?_

_Does she love me?_

_They're planning something to do to me… he looked too happy_

_I think I do…_

He got up and paced the room, he looked into the mirror (he had turned back round for company) and smiled grimly at his reflection.  "What do I do?"

The image cocked his head to one side, "Well, this is your soul talking here boy and believe me… you love her! In there somewhere, you do.  As for the vamp… just let him go.  If they're planning something there is nothing you can do about it, just forget about them… now, back to the girl… I think you should-… hey, where are you going?"

Draco was heading for the door, "I'm going for a walk… at night… that's what vampires do! We stalk the darkness…not listen to ranting reflections with a mind of their own!" he smiled and closed the door.

Also at that time, the two vampires were planning everything out, step by step just to be sure.

"When are we going then?" Dario asked excitedly.

"As soon as we know we won't screw it up! Be patient little one!" Donato lay on a low branch, legs swinging down over either side.  His handsome, flawless, death like face was blank with thought yet the odd flash of menace crossed it.

"How come you've gotten in control again… how the hell did that happen?" Dario asked, obviously miffed at the idea.

"Because, I am the natural born leader whilst you, my dear little friend, is a natural born crawler… minion… slave…"

"Ok, ok! Jeez... rub it in like... "

Donato grinned a sharp tooth filled grin, "I think this plan could very well work you know... except for one thing... the girl will believe him, she trusts him... _loves _him," he spat the word as if it was a nasty swear word.  Vampires don't normally tend to love, they see it as weakness and only ever leads to heartbreak.  Donato himself knows the feeling of a heart breaking, he remembers it all well but never mentions it to anyone.  Love was not high on his favourite things since he became a vampire and lost Romané...

"Don?!" Dario repeated louder.

"Hmm? Yeah... I know when to go... there's going to be a huge party for new year... everyone will be distracted... we go then," he blinked and stuttered, coming out of thoughts.

Dario raised his eyebrows but nodded, "We'll make sure he doesn't give any more away..."

((Phew! Did it eventually! Took AGES but was it worth it? Tell me in ur reviews what you think and if u have any suggestions feel free to say because I've forgotten a lot of what I was going to write! I can't wait to write the next chappie because it's when Don and Dari frame Draco and cause havoc... saying nothing more except... poor Draco! Anyways, I have some ads to put in here ;)

'The Darkest Night' by Loki- If ya haven't read it already u r missing out big time! It follows Draco and his struggle to adjust to the life of a werewolf.  A lot of action mixed with humour, a great read if ya need cheering up ;) believe me it works!

'The Chorus' by Nicky- A great story based in the future where children have the power (or think they do) to someday have what was once kept hidden from them – power, responsibility, the real world... but there are lessons to learn along the way...  better summary, I just suck! Tis a good story, read it!

'Ascension of Shadow' By Dark metal place (ME!!!)- There is more out there than what we can see, humans don't believe it's real, they don't want to.  This is a fantasy story where three races of 'human' go to war over an event a thousand years ago.  'Each side blame each other.  There is no good or evil, just separate view points...' – Squall Final Fantasy VIII.  Has action, romance and very gory... lots of strong language! Has magic, vampires, werewolves and basically things like that!

Better summary in the prologue, I just suck at explaining my own stories XD!

Give these stories a chance, you may find them interesting ;) Thank you all soooo much again! *big hug* and look out for my next chappie of both my stories!))


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